Comparison of in vitro activity of metronidazole and garlic-based product (Tomex®) on Trichomonas vaginalis

Abstract

Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted parasite in humans. Metronidazole has been the gold standard for treatment of trichomoniasis. The prevalence of metronidazole resistance and its unpleasant adverse effects drew the attention to the investigation of other lines of treatment, as that of herbal medicine. Garlic has been proven to have antibacterial, antiprotozoal, and antihelminthic activity. The current study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of commercially available garlic (Tomex®) on T. vaginalis in vitro. The effect of different concentrations of garlic (12.5, 25, 50, and 100 μg/ml) was determined on multiplication and motility of trophozoites at different time points (after 24, 48, 72, and 96 h) in comparison to the same concentrations of metronidazole at the same different time points. The results showed that parasite multiplication inhibition was noticed in proportion of concentration of Tomex and incubation time. The minimal lethal concentration of Tomex was 100 μg/ml after 24 h, 50 μg/ml after 48 h, 25 μg/ml after 72 h, and 12.5 μg/ml after 96 h. These results were similar to that of metronidazole as its minimal lethal concentration was 50 μg/ml after 24 and 48 h and 12.5 μg/ml after 72 and 96 h. Garlic had completely inhibited the motility of trophozoites with concentration of 100 μg/ml after 24 h, 50 μg/ml after 48 h, 25 μg/ml after 72 h, and 12.5 μg/ml after 96 h while metronidazole had completely inhibited the motility of trophozoites with concentration of 50 μg/ml after 24 h, 25 μg/ml after 48 h, and 12.5 μg/ml after 72 and 96 h. This suggests that commercially available garlic (Tomex®) may be a promising phytotherapeutic agent for trichomoniasis.

Comparative effect of manuka honey on anaerobic parasitic protozoans with standard drug therapy under in vitro conditions: A preliminary study

“…[ 19 ] Recently, garlic available commercially as Tomex was tested for its efficacy against metronidazole under in vitro conditions on T. vaginalis , and the results observed on the parasite growth inhibition were found to be in proportion to incubation time and different concentration of Tomex and finally concluded for its potential for phytotherapeutic agent. [ 20 ] In the present study also, appropriate concentration and exposure time were found to be important factor in inhibiting growth of both the parasites. Due to inadequacy in expansion of novel antibiotic classes to cure various infections that are mostly the outcome of resistant microorganisms, natural product like honey is progressively appreciated for having diversified range of antibacterial effect and also for its amazing treating capacity during chronic wound infections.…”

Garlic oil–loaded PLGA nanoparticles with controllable size and shape and enhanced antibacterial activities

“…As a result, garlic was reported to be a potent antimicrobial against a wide range of bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus, Clostridium , and streptococcus . Moreover, garlic was reported to be effective against many types of fungi and parasites, such as Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida albicans , and Cryptococcus neoformans …”

Therapeutic effects of acetylspiramycin and garlicin on cryptosporidiosis among drug users

“…As an extract of garlic, garlicin has been confirmed to have multiple curative effects such as antimicrobial ( Tsao and Yin, 2001 ), antithrombotic ( Fukao et al., 2007 ), hypolipidemic ( Asdaq, 2015 ) and antitumor activities ( Thomson and Ali, 2003 ). Lately, some reports tested the effect of garlicin in the treatment of parasites, such as toxoplasmosis ( Liu et al., 2002a , Liu et al., 2002b ), trichomoniasis ( Ibrahim, 2013 ) and cryptosporidiosis. In addition, garlicin has been used as a traditional extract of medicinal plant successfully to treat cryptosporidiosis in farm animals ( Kadria et al., 2015 ) and mice ( Liu et al., 2002a , Liu et al., 2002b , Gaafar, 2012 , Wang and Zhang, 2013 ).…”