In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Toxoplasma Activities of Dracocephalum kotschyi Extract in Experimental Models of Acute Toxoplasmosis

Abstract

Background The problem of resistance to antiparasitic drugs, associated with their side effects, suggest exploring other alternatives, including medicinal plants. Dracocephalum kotschyi (D. kotschyi), for example, from Lamiaceae family, is a plant widely used in Iran and in many countries, and to which interesting pharmacological properties have been attributed. This study aimed to investigate in vitro and in vivo anti-Toxoplasma activities of D. kotschyi extract in experimental models of acute toxoplasmosis. Methods Anti-Toxoplasma activity of the extracts in vitro was performed on Vero Cell, using the MTT test. Vero cell were infected with (3 × 10 5 tachyzoites/well) following treatment with Dichloromethane (F1), dichloromethane: methanol (F2), methanol (F3), methanol: water (F4), and deionized water (F5) extracts of D. kotschyi, and pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine (positive control). MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to measure cell viability. Effects of extracts on tachyzoites viability were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion method, followed by light microscopy. For in vivo test, 18 groups of 8-10-week-old Inbred Balb/c mice weighing 18-20 g, were intraperitoneally infected with 2 × 10 3 tachyzoites and then treated with sterile PBS (negative control), pyrimethamine (25 mg/kg) and sulfadiazine (500 mg/kg) as positive controls, and F1 to F5 extracts (at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg).

Anti-Toxoplasma Effects of Dracocephalum Polychaetum Essential Oil

“…Numerous studies have been performed to evaluate the anti- Toxoplasma activity of plant extracts and essential oils when evaluated in vitro . However, valuable and appropriate studies have been performed on natural substances and the identification of essential oils with low toxicity to host cells [ 24 , 25 ]. It has not been done, and many studies are still needed to determine this issue.…”

“…The chemical drugs used to treat this disease have high side effects and common side effects. Numerous studies have been performed to evaluate the anti- Toxoplasma activity of plant extracts and essential oils when evaluated in vitro [ 24 , 25 ]. However, valuable and appropriate studies have been performed on natural substances and the identification of essential oils with low toxicity to host cells.…”

“…However, there is no research on D. polychaetum against toxoplasmosis [ 18 , 19 , 35 ]. The anti- Toxoplasma activity of D. kotschyi extracts showed that this species had anti- Toxoplasma activity [ 25 ], so the current work was accomplished [ 24 , 25 ]. In the current work, we evaluated the efficacy of D. polychaetum essential oil on T. gondii infection for the first time in Iran.…”

“…Herbal remedies are one of the alternative treatments for many diseases [20][21][22][23]. Natural resources, especially medicinal plants, have a high position among the possible new treatments to replace the antiparasitic drugs sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine [24,25]. Chemical drugs used to treat toxoplasmosis increase serum creatinine and liver enzymes, cause megaloblastic anemia, allergic reactions, and agranulocytosis.…”

“…In recent years, the search for new antimicrobial agents has increased, and these agents mainly include plants because about a quarter of the chemical and synthetic drugs currently prescribed are derived from plants or natural sources, which is the case. Studies published in recent years examining natural resources and medicinal plants on protozoan and worm parasites such as Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Toxoplasma, and Echinococcus have shown that these resources can help treat these diseases [21][22][23][24][25]. Furthermore, the work of Menghini et al shows that female hemp inflorescences constitute a source of biomolecules with potential pharmacological applications, in particular against parasitosis and infectious diseases [27].…”