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Effects of extracts from Echinacea purpurea (L) MOENCH on mice infected with different strains of Toxoplasma gondii

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Abstract

In recent years, due to the growing concern about recurrent epidemics by Toxoplasma gondii and other pathogens in Brazil, there has been an increase in the use of different preparations obtained from Echinacea purpurea in order to test their effectiveness against these infections. Although studies have suggested the beneficial effects of this species against the influenza virus, no data are available on the use of E. purpurea aqueous extract in T. gondii infections. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of its administration in Swiss mice submitted to acute and prolonged infection with different T. gondii strains. This study showed that E. purpurea extract induced a significant reduction in the number of tachyzoites in the peritoneal fluid and liver imprints from mice infected by the RH strain. Moreover, prolonged treatment significantly increased the number of brain cysts of animals infected with ME 49 strain. The results obtained in this study suggest that the crude extract obtained from E. purpurea has important protective activities against infection with different T. gondii strains.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES-Brazil), and Diretoria Executiva de Gestão da Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação (DEGPP/UNIPAR-Brazil) for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Electrophysiology and Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Rodovia Dourados-Itahum, km 12, P.O. Box 533, 79.804-970, Dourados, MS, Brazil

    Arquimedes Gasparotto Junior & Francielly Mourão Gasparotto

  2. Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology of Natural Products, Universidade Paranaense, Umuarama, PR, Brazil

    Maria Luiza Antonio Cosmo, Michelle de Paula Reis, Pamela Secundo dos Santos, Daniela Dib Gonçalves & Emerson Luiz Botelho Lourenço

  3. Animal Science Department, Londrina State University, Londrina, PR, Brazil

    Italmar Teodorico Navarro

Authors
  1. Arquimedes Gasparotto Junior
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  2. Maria Luiza Antonio Cosmo
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  3. Michelle de Paula Reis
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  4. Pamela Secundo dos Santos
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  5. Daniela Dib Gonçalves
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  6. Francielly Mourão Gasparotto
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  7. Italmar Teodorico Navarro
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  8. Emerson Luiz Botelho Lourenço
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arquimedes Gasparotto Junior.

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Gasparotto Junior, A., Cosmo, M.L.A., Reis, M. et al. Effects of extracts from Echinacea purpurea (L) MOENCH on mice infected with different strains of Toxoplasma gondii . Parasitol Res 115, 3999–4005 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5167-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5167-2

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