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In vitro amoebicidal activities of Teucrium polium and T. chamaedrys on Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites and cysts

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Abstract

Amoebic keratitis is difficult to treat without total efficacy in some patients because of cysts, which are less susceptible than trophozoites to the usual treatments. The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro amoebicidal activity of the methanolic extracts of Teucrium polium and Teucrium chamaedrys. In the presence of methanolic extracts (ranging from 1.0 to 32.0 mg/ml), numbers of the viable Acanthamoeba castellani trophozoites and cysts were decreased during the experimental process. Both extracts showed time- and dose-dependent amoebicidal action on the trophozoites and cysts. Among the extracts tested, T. chamaedrys showed the strongest amoebicidal effect on the trophozoites. In the presence of 16 mg/ml or above extract concentrations, no viable trophozoites were observed within 48 h. In the case of T. polium, no viable trophozoites were observed within 48 h at 32 mg/ml concentration. As expected, cysts were found more resistant to the extracts than the trophozoites.

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Acknowledgment

This study is financially supported by the Research Council of Cumhuriyet University (CUBAP), Sivas-TURKEY with the project number of F-346.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Literature, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey

    Bektas Tepe & Seyda Berk

  2. Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, 58140, Sivas, Turkey

    Erdogan Malatyali & Serpil Degerli

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  1. Bektas Tepe
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  2. Erdogan Malatyali
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  3. Serpil Degerli
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  4. Seyda Berk
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Correspondence to Bektas Tepe.

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Tepe, B., Malatyali, E., Degerli, S. et al. In vitro amoebicidal activities of Teucrium polium and T. chamaedrys on Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites and cysts. Parasitol Res 110, 1773–1778 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2698-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2698-4

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