Therapeutic effects of Iranian herbal extracts against Trichomonas vaginalis

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated parasite affecting about 276 million people annually worldwide. Tricomoniasis is associated with different complications in pregnant women and infants. S'-nitroimidazole derivatives [metronidazole, ornidazole, and tinidazole] are FDA approved drugs recommended for trichomoniasis treatment. Treatment with metronidazole S'-nitroimidazole derivatives is associated with many side effects, and drug resistance to metronidazole has been reported in some cases. Recently, many attempts have been made to evaluate the effects of plants on causative agents of vaginal infections. In our research, the national and international databases were searched and the effects of various herbal extracts on T. vaginalis in Iran were reviewed from 2006 to 2016. In articles investigated, some plants had favorable antitrichomonal effects and needed to be further investigated. All the plant extracts have only been evaluated in vitro. Surveys of different articles in this review show that the active ingredients present in different parts of plants, including aerial parts, leaves, flowers, stems, and root can be suitable sources for introducing and developing new antitrichomonal compounds

Evaluación del transporte de glucosa, fármacos y del potencial de membrana como métodos pronósticos de quimioterapia en Leishmania spp / Evaluation of glucose transport, drugs and membrane potential as prognostic methods of chemotherapy in Leishmania spp

El fracaso terapéutico en leishmaniasis a menudo esta asociado a resistencia a los medicamentos por parte de los parásitos. Hasta ahora no se ha evaluado sistemáticamente si este fenotipo compromete u optimiza el metabolismo o la efectividad en leishmania, es decir, su competencia y adaptabilidad. Durante su ciclo de vida los parásitos deben ajustarse a condiciones de vida extremas, lo cual no es gratuito. Al presentarse conflictos que comprometen propiedades de leishmania esenciales para su supervivencia, surge un costo de adaptación. Sin embargo, tales compensaciones son el precio a pagar que garantizan la co-evolucion del binomio hospedero-parásito y el mantenimiento de la diversidad genética de leishmania. Comprender ese costo es imprescindible a fin de diseñar medidas de prognosis y control exitosas. Adicionalmente, el método vigente y confiable para evaluar resistencia en leishmania es el método in vitro macrofago-amastigote, el cual es oneroso y laborioso. Como parte de un proyecto sobre quimo-resistencia en Leismania, planteamos evaluar posibles parámetros bioquímicos que pudieran servir como marcadores celulares a ser usados para identificar parásitos con fenotipo quimioresistentes en aislados de pacientes y compararlos con cepas de referencia. Los resultados sugieren que algunos aislados:a) tienen incrementada la expresión transportadores ABC, b) utilizan glucosa de forma diferencial, c) tienen un potencial de membrana menos polarizado y d) expresan diferente sensibilidad a inhibidores clásicos de la función mitocondrial. En conjunto, los datos indican que los aislados estudiados expresan los mismos cambios fisiológicos ya descritos en parásitos de referencia quimioresistentes. Es decir, que los cambios explorados podrían constituir un patrón general asociado a este fenómeno leishmania, lo cual los valida como marcadores celulares de resistencia. En conclusion, se propone un nuevo enfoque al problema del tratamiento de la enfermedad ya que, además de las estrategias clásicas, se añadirían herramientas de pronostico del éxito de la quimioterapia.

Antimalarial activity of three Pakistani medicinal plants

This study was conducted to determine the in vitro anti-malarial activity of three medicinal plants, Picrorhiza kurroa, Caesalpinia bonducella and Artemisia absinthium of Pakistan. Different extracts of various parts of these plants were prepared by maceration and percolation, and were evaluated for their antimalarial activity. Aqueous, cold alcoholic and hot alcoholic extracts of Picrorhiza kurroa showed 34%, 100% and 90% inhibition in growth of Plasmodium falciparum, respectively, at 2.00 mg/ml. While aqueous, cold alcoholic and hot alcoholic extracts of Caesalpinia bonducella showed 65%, 56% and 76% inhibition in growth of Plasmodium falciparum, respectively at same concentrations. In the case of Artemisia absinthium, aqueous, cold alcoholic and hot alcoholic extract of Artemisia absinthium showed 35%, 55% and 21% inhibition in growth of Plasmodium falciparum, respectively at 2.00 mg/ml. In our study, extracts of Picrorhiza kurroa were found good for traditional therapy with highly significant results

[Evaluation of chubak aqueous extract in parasite decontamination on vegetables and comparison with commercial detergent in Sari]

Use of surfactants and chemicals for washing and parasite decontamination from vegetables is not recommend-ed by W.H.O. due to it's penetration in vegetables parenchyma and probable cause of improper taste and odor and toxicity. Some surveys showed "soap-roots" rhizomes [Chubak] to contain Saponin like constituents. Those are effective on surface tension reduction and so are prefered to chemical washers. This research was designed to study plant effect on Parasite removal from vegetables and it's comparison with disinfectant and commercial detergent in Sari City [Mazandaran Province-north of Iran]. "Soap-roots" aqueous extract [1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 percent] was prepared from the Acanthophyllum squarrosum [Caryophyllaceae] rhizome by maceration method. 100 g of parsley vegetable samples was taken randomly from shopping centers. The samples were placed in contact with "Soap-roots" aqueous extract for zero and 15 minutes according to the W.H.O. guidelines. Then the effluent was centrifuged and evaluated for parasite decontamination as qualitatively and quantitatively by Mc-master counting slide [0.3 mm]. In addition in this research parasite decontamination by commercial detergent [10%] was performed with contact times 0 and 15 minutes and also pure water as blank. Maximum parasite decontamination by "Soap-roots" aqueous extract and commercial detergent [10%] at 0 minute contact time obtained was 84 and 97 parasite eggs [parasite], respectively. Also maximum parasite decontamination by "Soap-roots" aqueous extract and commercial detergent [10%] and blank water at 15 minutes contact time obtained was 230, 26 and 64 parasite ova [parasite], respectively. In this research the best parasite decontamination range by "Soap-roots" aqueous extract was obtained at concentrations of 10 to 20% and contact time of 15 minutes. Quantitavely, maximum parasite ova [parasite] decontamination from vegetable samples by "Soap-roots" aqueous extract [10%] and 15 minutes contact time released 230 parasites. This numbers included 22 alive and active nematode larva, 197 alive larvas and 20 Parameciumia

Interferón y su uso potencial en el tratamiento de enfermedades infecciosas / Interferon and its potential use in the treatment of infectious diseases

Modern recombinant biotechnology has made possible the production of large amount of interferons and their use as immunotherapeutic agents. Most of the biological, physical and chemical characteristics of interferons has been established, including their classification, genetic structure, chemical composition and possible mechanisms of action. Interferons have been utilized in clinical studies with human and experimental animals against bacterial, mycotic, parasitic and viral infections. Success has been reported mainly when administered prophylactically against acute infections. Favorable results have been obtained, both prophylactic and therapeutically, in some chronic diseases and in those in which the microorganism has an intracellular phase during its life cycle. Moreover, a promising future has been suggested for the combined use of interferon with other antimicrobial drugs