Ginger (Zingiber Officinale)-derived nanoparticles in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice: Hepatoprotective and enhancer of etiological treatment

Abstract

Background Nanotechnology has been manufactured from medicinal plants to develop safe, and effective antischistosmal alternatives to replace today’s therapies. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prophylactic effect of ginger-derived nanoparticles (GNPs), and the therapeutic effect of ginger aqueous extract, and GNPs on Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infected mice compared to praziquantel (PZQ), and mefloquine (MFQ). Methodology/principal findings Eighty four mice, divided into nine different groups, were sacrificed at 6th, 8th, and 10th week post-infection (PI), with assessment of parasitological, histopathological, and oxidative stress parameters, and scanning the worms by electron microscope. As a prophylactic drug, GNPs showed slight reduction in worm burden, egg density, and granuloma size and number. As a therapeutic drug, GNPs significantly reduced worm burden (59.9%), tissue egg load (64.9%), granuloma size, and number at 10th week PI, and altered adult worm tegumental architecture, added to antioxidant effect. Interestingly, combination of GNPs with PZQ or MFQ gave almost similar or sometimes better curative effects as obtained with each drug separately. The highest therapeutic effect was obtained when ½ dose GNPs combined with ½ dose MFQ which achieved 100% reduction in both the total worm burden, and ova tissue density as early as the 6th week PI, with absence of detected eggs or tissue granuloma, and preservation of liver architecture. Conclusions/significance GNPs have a schistosomicidal, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective role. GNPs have a strong synergistic effect when combined with etiological treatments (PZQ or MFQ), and significantly reduced therapeutic doses by 50%, which may mitigate side effects and resistance to etiological drugs, a hypothesis requiring further research. We recommend extending this study to humans.

Zingiber officinale supplementation suppresses eimeriosis and regulates goblet cell response

“…Numerous pharmacological properties of ginger have been identified, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, gastrointestinal regulating agent, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties ( Khan et al, 2012 ). Also, Z. officinale was effective against some parasites like Giardia duodenalis ( de Almeida et al, 2022 ), leishmania ( Mohammadi et al, 2021 ), Schistosoma mansoni ( Abd El Wahab et al, 2021 ), and Trypanosoma cruzi ( Sarto et al, 2021 ).…”

In Vivo Evaluation of an Antibody-Functionalized Lipoidal Nanosystem for Schistosomiasis Intervention

“…Additionally, the anti-calpain-engineered lipoidal nanosystem, when compared with the same dose of PZQ, showed a greater effect on both the mature and immature ova, as well as caused ova dead during the egg developmental stages in both the young and adult worm represented by two weeks and four weeks post-infected mice, respectively. The calculation of the reduction in the total worm burden, egg developmental stages, the number of eggs/gram tissue and the percentage of reduction in total ova/gram tissue is the criteria for parasitological cure rate [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. These enormous effects of the anti-calpain-engineered nanoliposomes on schistosomes eggs, and worms may be due to the target rate and greater absorption of the nanosystem by the worms and the eggs in the liver, porto-mesenteric, and intestine.…”

“…Worm recovery : Sacrificed mice were subjected to a hepatic-porto-mesentric perfusion procedure to collect adult S. mansoni , assess sex (male/female/copula), estimate worm load, and then compute the percentage of overall worm reduction [ 34 ].…”

“…Oogram pattern : The percentage of eggs at various stages of development (oogram pattern) was investigated [ 33 , 34 ]. The eggs were identified and counted at different developmental stages in three intestinal fragments, and the average amount of each stage was computed.…”

“…Egg count in tissues : Small sections of intestinal and hepatic tissues were weighed, digested overnight in a 5 mL KOH 5% solution, and three samples (each 50 μL) of the digested tissue were examined microscopically to calculate the mean egg count [ 34 ]. Kloetzel’s formula was used to calculate the number of eggs per gram of tissue as well as the percentage reduction in total ova per gram of tissue [ 35 ].…”