In Vitro and in Vivo Anti-Toxoplasma Activities of Dracocephalum Kotschyi Extract in Experimental Models of Acute Toxoplasmosis Publisher Pubmed



Ghanadian M¹ ; Khamesipour F^{2, 3} ; Hejazi SH⁴ ; Razavi SM² ; Sadraei H⁵ ; Namdar F⁶ Show Affiliations
Source: Acta Parasitologica Published:2022

Abstract

Background: The problem of resistance to antiparasitic drugs, associated with their side effects, suggest exploring other alternatives, including medicinal plants. Dracocephalumkotschyi (D.kotschyi), for example, from Lamiaceae family, is a plant widely used in Iran and in many countries, and to which interesting pharmacological properties have been attributed. This study aimed to investigate in vitro and in vivo anti-Toxoplasma activities of D.kotschyi extract in experimental models of acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: Anti-Toxoplasma activity of the extracts in vitro was performed on Vero Cell, using the MTT test. Vero cell were infected with (3 × 105 tachyzoites/well) following treatment with Dichloromethane (F1), dichloromethane: methanol (F2), methanol (F3), methanol: water (F4), and deionized water (F5) extracts of D.kotschyi, and pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine (positive control). MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to measure cell viability. Effects of extracts on tachyzoites viability were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion method, followed by light microscopy. For in vivo test, 18 groups of 8–10-week-old Inbred Balb/c mice weighing 18–20 g, were intraperitoneally infected with 2 × 103 tachyzoites and then treated with sterile PBS (negative control), pyrimethamine (25 mg/kg) and sulfadiazine (500 mg/kg) as positive controls, and F1 to F5 extracts (at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg). Results: The 50% Inhibitory Concentration of F1 extract, F2 extract, Sulfadiazine (Positive control) and Pyrimethamine (Positive control) were 8.77 µg, 7.1 µg 391.18 µg, and 84.20 µg, respectively, while the selectivity indices were 15.667, 30.197, 1.552 and 4.064, respectively. In vivo anti-Toxoplasma activity test showed that Methanol: water (F-4) 50 extract was more active than the positive control. Conclusions: Indeed, the extract allowed a survival rate of 10% of the mice, compared to 0% for all the other groups. D.kotschyi has the potential to be valorized in the management of toxoplasmosis. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefanski Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.