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Effect of olive leaf, Satureja khuzestanica, and Allium sativum extracts on Giardia lamblia cysts compared with metronidazole in vitro

Journal of Parasitic Diseases volume 40, pages 1204–1209 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Giardia lamblia is one of the common causes of worldwide diarrhea in children. Appropriate medicinal treatment for giardiasis is available but there are some evidences of drug resistance, insufficient efficacy, and unpleasant side effects. In order to reach a more natural drug with suitable efficacy and the lowest side effects, the effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts of olive leaf, Satureja khuzestanica, and Allium sativum on G. lamblia cysts were evaluated in vitro, as well as antigiardial effect of the extracts was compared with metronidazole as the drug of choice. 2 and 5 mg of the plants extracts and powder of metronidazole 250 mg pills were added to 1 ml of G. lamblia cysts suspension (containing 5,000 cyst/ml normal saline), and the percentages of bioavailability of G. lamblia cysts were examined at the 2nd and 4th h after exposure and in 4 and 37 °C temperatures using eosin 0.1 % and a haemocytometer. The data were analyzed by multiway ANOVA test, Tukey’s test, and the SPSS software, version 18. The examinations demonstrated that olive leaf extract had the most fatality rate on G. lamblia cysts in vitro (37.90 ± 7.01 %), followed by the extract of S. khuzestanica (32.52 ± 9.07 %). Metronidazole 250 mg pills had relatively effective fatality rate on G. lamblia cysts in vitro (28.75 ± 10.30 %), whereas A. sativum (garlic) had the lowest fatality effect on G. lamblia cysts in vitro (22.65 ± 10.47 %). With respect to higher fatality effect of olive leaf and S. khuzestanica extracts compared with metronidazole in vitro, these plants can be used as suitable candidates to make new antigiardial drugs with low side effects and without drug resistance in the treatment of giardiasis in children.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by Vice Chancellors for Education of Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran. The authors wish to thank the Razi Herbal Medicine Center staffs in Khorramabad city, for their great assistance.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

    Sh. Fallahi

  2. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    A. Rostami

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

    B. Delfan

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

    Y. Pournia

  5. Young Researcher Club, Khorramabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khorramabad, Iran

    M. Rashidipour

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  1. Sh. Fallahi
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  2. A. Rostami
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  3. B. Delfan
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  4. Y. Pournia
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  5. M. Rashidipour
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Correspondence to Sh. Fallahi.

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Fallahi, S., Rostami, A., Delfan, B. et al. Effect of olive leaf, Satureja khuzestanica, and Allium sativum extracts on Giardia lamblia cysts compared with metronidazole in vitro. J Parasit Dis 40, 1204–1209 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-015-0650-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-015-0650-8

Keywords

  • Olive leaf
  • Satureja khuzestanica
  • Allium sativum
  • Metronidazole
  • Giardia lamblia
  • In vitro