Abstract
There is a considerable interest in developing new anthelmintic drugs including those from medicinal plants due to increasing evidence of parasitic resistance against present anthelmintic drugs and decreasing activity against encapsulated larval stages of parasites. This study was carried out to assess, for the first time, the effectiveness of methanolic extract of Balanites aegyptiaca (BAE) fruits against different stages (pre-adult, migrating larvae, and encysted larvae) of Trichinella spiralis in rats compared with commonly used anthelmintic albendazole. Oral administration of BAE at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg b.wt. for five successive days throughout the parasite life cycle led to a marked reduction of migrating and encysted larval rate by 81.7% and 61.7%, respectively, in the muscular tissue. This treatment was less effective against adults in the gut (47.8%). Albendazole treatment at a dose of 10 mg/kg b.wt. for five successive days resulted in a marked eradication of T. spiralis adult worms (94.4%) and less reduction of migrating and encysted larval infections of skeletal muscles (62.2% and 26.4%, respectively). BAE-treated groups showed marked decreases in serum-glucose levels, triglyceride concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) activities, and lipid peroxide products (malondialdehyde, MDA) as well as an increase in glutathione level in both serum and muscular tissue compared to albendazole-treated- and infected-untreated groups. This result was confirmed by few numbers of living- and dead-encysted larvae and less destruction of the diaphragm and skeletal muscle tissues in BAE-treated groups compared to other treated groups. It can be concluded that the methanolic extract of B. aegyptiaca fruits has high effectiveness against parenteral stages of T. spiralis than albendazole. Albendazole is more effective against enteral stage of T. spiralis than the extract.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AL-Qarawi AA, Abdel-Rahman HA, EL-Mougy SA (2002) Activities of diagnostic enzymes and lipid content in camel (Camelus dromedarius) blood vessels. Acta Vet Brno 71:19–22
Arise RO, Malomo SO (2009) Effects of ivermectin and albendazole on some liver and kidney function indices in rats. Afr J Biochem Res 3:190–197
Banchroft JD, Stevens A, Turner DR (1996) Theory and practice of histological techniques, 4th edn. Livingstone, New York
Beiting DP, Bliss SK, Schlafer DH, Roberts VL, Appleton JA (2004) Interleukin-10 limits local and body cavity inflammation during infection with muscle-stage Trichinella spiralis. Infect Immun 72:3129–3137
Beutler E, Duron O, Kelly BM (1963) Improved method for the determination of blood glutathione. J Lab Clin Med 61:882–888
Blotna-Filipiak M, Gabryel P, Gustowska L, Kucharska E, Wranicz MJ (1998) Trichinella spiralis: induction of the basophilic transformation of muscle cells by synchronous newborn larvae. II. Electron microscopy study. Parasitol Res 84:823–827
Bolas-Fernandez F, Wakelin D (1989) Infectivity of Trichinella isolates in mice is determined by host immune responsiveness. Parasitol 99:83–88
Bruschi F, Lucchi NW (2001) Enzymatic antioxidant systems in helminth parasites: no doubt on their evasive role. Acta Parasitol 46:233–241
Cabie A, Bouchaud O, Houze S, Khuong MA, Ruggeri C, Ancelle T, Matheron S, Coulaud JP (1996) Albendazole versus thiabendazole as therapy for trichinosis: a retrospective study. Clin Infect Dis 22:1033–1035
Capo V, Despommier DD (1996) Clinical aspects of infection with Trichinella spp. Clin Microbiol Rev 9:47–54
Dawkins R (1990) Parasites, desiderata list and the paradox of the organism. Parasitol 100:S63–S73
Denham D, Martinez AR (1970) Studies with methyridine and Trichinella spiralis. 2. The use of drugs to study the rate of larval production in mice. J Helminthol 44:357–363
Derda M, Boczon K, Wandurska-Nowak E, Wojt W (2003) Changes in the activity of glutathione-S-transferase in muscles and sera from mice infected with Trichinella spiralis after treatment with albendazole and levamisole. Parasitol Res 89:509–512
Despommier D (1990) Trichinella spiralis: the worm that would be virus. Parasitol Today 6:193–196
Duke JA (1983) Medicinal plants in the Bible. Trado-Medic, New York
El-Ridi AM, Abou-Ragab HA, Ismail MM, Shehata MM, Ramadan ME, Etewa SE (1990) Effect of some drugs on some histopathological and immunological aspects of experimental trichinosis in albino rats. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 20:99–104
Fossati P, Prencipe L (1982) Serum triglycerides determined colorimetrically with an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide. Clin Chem 28:2077–2080
Gad MZ, El-Sawalhi MM, Ismail MF, El-Tanbouly ND (2006) Biochemical study of the anti-diabetic action of the Egyptian plants Fenugreek and Balanites. Mol Cell Biochem 281:173–183
Gamble HR (1996) Detection of trichinellosis in pigs by artificial digestion and enzyme immunoassay. J Food Prot 59:295–298
Garcia JJ, Bolas F, Torrado JJ (2003) Bioavailability and efficacy characteristics of two different oral liquid formulations of albendazole. Int J Pharm 250:351–358
Gilleard JS, Beech RN (2007) Population genetics of anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes. Parasitol 134:1133–1147
Grudzinski IP, Frankiewicz-Jozko A, Bany J (2001) Diallyl sulfide—a flavour component from garlic (Allium sativum) attenuates lipid peroxidation in mice infected with Trichinella spiralis. Phytomedicine 8:174–177
Hadas E, Gustowska L (1995) Histochemical investigations of the biochemical defense mechanism in experimental trichinellosis: I. Peroxidase activity. Trop Med Parasitol 46:278–280
Hall JB, Walker DH (1991) Balanites aegyptiaca Del.—a monograph. School of Agriculutural and Forest Science, University of Wales, Banger, pp 1–12
Kamel MS, Ohtani K, Kurokawa T, Assaf MH, El-Shanawany MA, Ali AA, Kasai R, Ishibashi S, Tanaka O (1991) Studies on Balanites aegyptiaca fruits, an antidiabetic Egyptian folk medicine. Chem Pharm Bull 39:1229–1233
Kloos H, McCullough FS (1987) Plant molluscicides. J Med Plant Res 46:195–209
Koko WS, Galal M, Khalid HS (2000) Fasciolicidal efficacy of Albizia anthelmintica and Balanites aegyptiaca compared with albendazole. J Ethnopharmacol 71:247–252
Koko WS, Abdall HS, Galal M, Khalid HS (2005) Evaluation of oral therapy on Mansonial Schistosomiasis using single dose of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits and praziquantel. Fitoterapia 76:30–34
Kokwaro JO (1976) Medicinal plants of East Africa. East Africa Literature Bureau, Nairobi
Kolodziejczyk L, Siemieniuk E, Skrzydlewska E (2006) Fasciola hepatica: effects on the antioxidative properties and lipid peroxidation of rat serum. Exp Parasitol 113:43–48
Mohamed AH (1999) Some pharmacological and toxicological studies on Balanites aegyptiaca Bark. Phytother Res 13:439–441
Morrissey JP, Osbourn AE (1999) Fungal resistance to plant antibiotics as a mechanism of pathogenesis. Microbiol Mol Biol 63:708–724
Ohkawa H, Ohishi N, Yagi K (1979) Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction. Anal Biochem 95:351–358
Pozio E (2005) The broad spectrum of Trichinella host: from cold- to warm-blooded animals. Vet Parasitol 132:3–11
Pozio E, Sacchini D, Sacchi L, Tamburrini A, Alberici F (2001) Failure of mebendazole in the treatment of humans with Trichinella spiralis infection at the stage of encapsulating larvae. Clin Infect Dis 32:638–642
Reitman SMD, Frankel S (1957) A colorimeter method for determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetic acid and glutamic pyruvic acid transferases. Am J Clin Pathol 28:56–63
Satoh K (1978) Serum lipid peroxide in cerebrovascular disorders, determined by a new colorimetric method. Clin Chim Acta 90:37–43
Shalaby MA, El-Tawil OS, Mouneir SM, Ismail M (2005) Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits extract on carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats. Egypt Pharm J 4:233–245
Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1982) Statistical methods, 8th edn. Iowa State University, USA
Speroni E, Cervellati R, Innocenti G, Costa S, Guerra MC, Dall' Acqua S, Govoni P (2005) Anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activities of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile. J Ethnopharmacol 98:117–125
Strote G, Wielangs S, Darge K, Comley JC (1990) In vitro assessment of the activity of anthelmintic compounds on adults of Onchocerca volvulus. Acta Leiden 59:285–296
Szasz G, Gruber W, Bernt E (1976) Creatine kinase in serum. I—determination of optimum reaction conditions. Clin Chem 22:650–656
Teppema JS, Robinson JE, Ruitenberg EJ (1973) Ultrastructural aspects of capsule formation in Trichinella spiralis infection in the rat. Parasitol 66:291–296
Thrall MA, Baker DC, Campbell TW, DeNicole D, Fettman MJ, Lassen ED, Rebar A, Weiser G (2004) Veterinary hematology and clinical chemistry. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, p 518
Trinder P (1969) Enzymatic methods for glucose determination. Ann Clin Biochem 6:24–28
Webster P, Kapel CM (2005) Studies on vertical transmission of Trichinella spp. in experimentally infected ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), pigs, guinea pigs and mice. Vet Parasitol 130:255–262
Wiesman Z, Chapagain BP (2006) Larvicidal activity of saponin containing extracts and fractions of fruit mesocarp of Balanites aegyptiaca. Fitoterapia 77:420–424
Wu Z, Nagano I, Kajita K, Nishina M, Takahashi Y (2009) Hypoglycaemia induced by Trichinella infection is due to the increase of glucose uptake in infected muscle cells. Int J Parasitol 39:427–434
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shalaby, M.A., Moghazy, F.M., Shalaby, H.A. et al. Effect of methanolic extract of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits on enteral and parenteral stages of Trichinella spiralis in rats. Parasitol Res 107, 17–25 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1827-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1827-9