In vitro anthelmintic activity of an aqueous extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra and of glycyrrhetinic acid against gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants

Abstract

This study evaluated the in vitro anthelmintic activity of a liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root aqueous extract and of glycyrrhetinic acid at 30, 10, 5, 1, and 0.5 mg/mL against sheep gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs), using the egg hatch test (EHT), the larval development test (LDT), and the larval migration inhibition test (LMIT). The compounds were applied on a mixture of GIN eggs and larvae, mainly Trichostrongylus spp. and Teladorsagia/Ostertagia spp. Cytotoxicity assays were also performed. In the EHT, both candidates showed significant concentration-dependent efficacy and were significantly more effective (p < 0.001) at the highest concentrations (30 and 10 mg/mL) than the lowest ones. In the LDT, only G. glabra showed a concentration-dependent effect (R2 = 0.924), but glycyrrhetinic acid (R2 = 0.910) had significantly higher efficacy than G. glabra root extract. Moreover, the efficacy of glycyrrhetinic acid at 30, 10, and 5 mg/mL was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than at lower concentrations. In the LMIT, G. glabra showed concentration-dependent efficacy (R2 = 0.971), while considerably reduced efficacy was observed for glycyrrhetinic acid (R2 = 0.855) at the lowest concentrations. These data suggest that the two compounds may have different mechanisms of action. In the LMIT, the 50% lethal concentration (LC50) of glycyrrhetinic acid (~5.12 mg/mL) was > 2.0-fold lower when compared to G. glabra (12.25 mg/mL). Analysis and previous findings indicated low toxicity for both compounds. The results obtained encourage in vivo studies aimed at evaluating the potential use of the tested compounds as natural de-wormers in ruminants.

<i>In vitro</i> Effects of <i>Anogeissus leiocarpus</i> and <i>Adansonia digitata</i> on Two Life-cycle Stages of <i>Haemonchus contortus</i>, a Gastrointestinal Parasite of Small Ruminants

“…Indeed, the study focused on the evaluation of the anthelmintic activity of the extracts of these two plants through in vitro biological tests on the eggs and the adult worms of H. contortus which constitute two stages of the development cycle of this parasite. The methods of inhibition of egg hatching and adult worm motility were used for these in vitro tests according to several previous works [6,14,[24][25][26].…”

Exploring the Pharmacological Potential of Glycyrrhizic Acid: From Therapeutic Applications to Trends in Nanomedicine

“…GA also demonstrated anti-parasitic activity [38][39][40]. GA suppressed inflammation in Leishmania donovani infection by inhibiting COX-2-mediated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release in L. donovani-infected macrophages [38].…”

“…This evaluation revealed that GA kills the parasite by affecting the sterol biosynthetic pathway, especially by inhibiting the L. donovani HMGR (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase) and altering ergosterol levels [41]. The in vitro anthelmintic activity of GA against gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants was investigated by Maestrini et al (2021). In this study, GA was found to be highly active when used in the egg hatch test (EHT), larval development test (LDT), and larval migration inhibition test (LMIT) [40].…”

“…The in vitro anthelmintic activity of GA against gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants was investigated by Maestrini et al (2021). In this study, GA was found to be highly active when used in the egg hatch test (EHT), larval development test (LDT), and larval migration inhibition test (LMIT) [40].…”

“…[39] Anti-parasitic GA has anthelmintic activity against gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants. [40] Anti-parasitic GA has a potential antileishmanial chemotherapeutic agent by killing the parasite affecting sterol biosynthetic pathway. [41] Antibacterial GA inhibited Arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activities in a strain of H. pylori.…”