Potency of Allium sativum and Allium cepa oils against Schistosoma mansoni infection in mice

ABSTRACT

It has been reported that garlic [Allium sativum] and onion [Allium cepa] are used all over the world in different diseases, such as infections, injuries, gastrointestinal dysfunctions and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, our aim in this work was to study the ability of garlic and onion oils to offset the infectivity as well as the metabolic disturbances induced by Schistosoma mansoni parasitism. The two current drugs were given in a dosage of 5ml / kg body weight/ day. Three aspects of drug action were investigated, the effect on S. mansoni infection, the effect on liver functions, and on liver metabolism. The parasitological investigation included worm burden and ova count. Serum biochemical analysis of infected mice revealed a significant increase in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], gamma-glutamyltransferase [GGT], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], acid phosphatase [AP], while a decrease in glucose, total lipids total cholesterol, high - and low- density lipoproteins cholesterol [HDL and LDL], triglycerides, total proteins and albumin was observed. Liver tissue analysis of infected animals showed a marked increase in L- hydroxyproline [HP] concentration and xanthine oxidase [XO] activity accompanied with a reduction in total adenosinetriphosphatase [ATPase] and phosphofructokinase [PFK] enzymatic activities. Treatment with either garlic or onion oils greatly normalized liver function enzymes and variably improved the other parameters with a noticeable reduction in worm burden and ova count. It could be concluded that garlic or onion may play a role against the metabolic disturbances caused by S. mansoni infection, owing to an effect which may be induced by improving the immunological host system and their antioxidant activities