ABSTRACT
In spite of the advances in drug development and research against human lymphatic filariasis following the WHO mandate to address the disease-associated socioeconomic burden, diethylcarbamazine (DEC, N, N-diethyl-4-methyl-1-piperazine carboxamide) is the only available antifilarial drug to date. The major obstacle for further development of antifilarial drugs is the lack of validation of candidate drugs in the experimental animal models. Both, green tea extract and a synthetic heterocyclic thiazolidine derivative (Im8; 2-chloro-N-(4-phenylthiazol-2-yl), showed efficacy of antifilarial action in our earlier in vitro study and hence, they were screened in the present study for their antifilarial potential in the BALB/c mouse filariasis model. Mice were treated with 25 mg/kg dose of either Im8 or green tea extract or DEC or only with their respective vehicles. The untreated mice served as controls. Following insertion of the micropore chamber laden with microfilariae (Mf) of Brugia malayi, the drug or vehicle was administered s.c. in mice at 12 h intervals as 4 doses. After 12 h of administration of the last dose, the micropore chambers were removed to determine the action of the treatments as the loss of Mf motility. The green tea extract showed a significant antifilarial action and Im8 showed relatively less but significant antifilarial action as compared to the respective vehicle controls. Both the green tea extract and Im8 showed higher activity than that was exerted by DEC. These results revealed a greater efficacy of green tea and thiazolidine derivative, Im8 as the novelantifilarial agents in the experimental mouse model of filariasis.