Myrtus communis Essential Oil; Anti-Parasitic Effects and Induction of the Innate Immune System in Mice with Toxoplasma gondii Infection

Abstract

Background: Myrtus communis (M. communis) is a wild aromatic plant used for traditional herbal medicine that can be demonstrated in insecticidal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity of its essential oils (MCEO). Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effects of M. communis essential oil (MCEO) against chronic toxoplasmosis induced by the Tehran strain of Toxoplasma gondii in mice. Methods: Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed to determine the chemical composition of MCEO. Mice were then orally administrated with MCEO at the doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg/day and also atovaquone 100 mg/kg for 21 days. On the 15th day, the mice were infected with the intraperitoneal inoculation of 20–25 tissue cysts from the Tehran strain of T. gondii. The mean numbers of brain tissue cysts and the mRNA levels of IL-12 and IFN-γ in mice of each tested group were measured. Results: By GC/MS, the major constituents were α-pinene (24.7%), 1,8-cineole (19.6%), and linalool (12.6%), respectively. The results demonstrated that the mean number of T. gondii tissue cysts in experimental groups Ex1 (p < 0.05), Ex2 (p < 0.001) and Ex3 (p < 0.001) was meaningfully reduced in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control group (C2). The mean diameter of tissue cyst was significantly reduced in mice of the experimental groups Ex2 (p < 0.01) and Ex3 (p < 0.001). The results demonstrated that although the mRNA levels of IFN-γ and IL-12 were elevated in all mice of experimental groups, a significant increase (p < 0.001) was observed in tested groups of Ex2 and Ex3 when compared with control groups. Conclusion: The findings of the present study demonstrated the potent prophylactic effects of MCEO especially in the doses 200 and 300 mg/kg in mice infected with T. gondii. Although the exceptional anti-Toxoplasma effects of MCEO and other possessions, such as improved innate immunity and low toxicity are positive topics, there is, however, a need for more proof from investigations in this field.

Therapeutic Potential and Safety of the Cinnamomum zeylanicum Methanolic Extract Against Chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Mice

“…Similar to most previous surveys ( Ranasinghe et al., 2013 ; Rahayu et al., 2021 ), we reported the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins in CZME and cinnamaldehyde, trans-cinnamyl acetate, and trans-ethyl p-methoxycinnamate as the most abundant constituents of CZME by GC/MS analysis. Nevertheless, it has been supported several times that the chemical composition of plants may be influenced by factors such as the place and time of harvest, the part of the plant used for analysis, and the method of essential oil extraction ( Masoumi-Ardakani et al., 2016 ; Shaapan et al., 2021 ). Cinnamaldehyde is the main compound of CZME and has a broad range of medicinal and pharmacological applications such as anticancer, cardio-protection, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-parasitic activities ( Chen et al., 2017 ; Doyle and Stephens, 2019 ).…”

“…A vital mechanism that plays an essential role in the prevention and even control of toxoplasmosis is the reinforcement of the immune system, especially cellular immunity, by increasing some inflammatory factors and mediators ( Sasai et al., 2018 ). Due to having certain compounds, medicinal herbs have recently displayed promising in vitro and in vivo anti- Toxoplasma and anti- T. gondii effects with immunomodulation of animals and host cells ( Teixeira et al., 2020 ; Shaapan et al., 2021 ).…”

Anti-helmintic Activity of Myrtus communis L. Fruit Ethanol Extract on Nematodes of Caenorhabditis elegans and The Determination of Possible Active Ingredients

“…Many medicinal effects of Myrtus communis L. have been mentioned in the literature [3][4][5][6][7]. In addition, there are studies showing the antiparasitic effect of Myrtus communis L. In a study, potent prophylactic effects of essential oils of Myrtus communis L. were shown in mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii, especially at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg [19]. Another study was carried out on promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania tropica and it was shown that the essential oils of Myrtus communis L. significantly inhibited their growth in a dose-dependent manner.…”

Chemical Composition and Insecticidal, Antiplasmodial, and Anti-Leishmanial Activity of Capparis spinosa Essential Oil and Its Main Constituents

“…e attained essential oil was then dehydrated by over anhydrous sodium sulfate and kept in darkness at 4 °C in glass tubes until testing [21].…”