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A Complementary Herbal Product for Controlling Giardiasis
Tarek Hamdy Abd-Elhamid1, Iman A M Abdel-Rahman2, Amany Refaat Mahmoud3,4
1Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71515, Egypt.
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 30, 2021
Summary
Artemisia annua extract effectively treats giardiasis by reducing parasite load and inflammation. Its therapeutic effects in hamsters are comparable to metronidazole, offering a potential natural alternative for this global health issue.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Giardiasis, caused by Giardia lamblia, is a global health concern due to drug resistance.
- Plant-derived products are explored for treating parasitic infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of Artemisia annua extract against giardiasis.
Main Methods:
- Assessed Giardia lamblia infection markers in hamsters, including NO production, serum cytokines (IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α), intestinal histology (villi height, goblet cells, muscularis externa), intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and caspase-3.
- Compared the effects of Artemisia annua treatment with metronidazole.
Main Results:
- Infection increased iNOS, caspase-3, IELs, and pro-inflammatory cytokines while decreasing NO and altering intestinal morphology.
- Artemisia annua treatment reversed these pathological changes, reduced trophozoite counts, and lowered caspase-3 levels.
- The efficacy of Artemisia annua was comparable to metronidazole.
Conclusions:
- Artemisia annua extract demonstrates significant therapeutic efficacy in managing giardiasis.
- It alleviates intestinal inflammation and pathological damage, suggesting its potential as a natural treatment for giardiasis.
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