Pentamycin shows high efficacy against Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of the venereal disease trichomoniasis, which is the most frequent non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. Since the 1960s, metronidazole has been the standard treatment, however an increasing number of cases with metronidazole-resistant strains is being reported. In this study, pentamycin, a polyene antibiotic, was tested for its in vitro efficacy against T. vaginalis using four strains with different metronidazole susceptibilities. It was shown that pentamycin is highly active against T. vaginalis and that the effect is prompt and independent of underlying metronidazole resistance. The effective concentrations (EC values) after 1 h of treatment were in the range 1.74-2.62 µg/mL (EC50) and 4.91-6.51 µg/mL (EC90). Total eradication of trichomonads (EC100) was achieved in all strains by treatment with 15 µg/mL (22 µM) for 1 h or with ≥1 µg/mL (≥1.5 µM) for 24 h. Long-term cultivation (12 months) under permanent drug pressure did not induce stable resistance against pentamycin in any of the strains tested. Pentamycin has been approved for intravaginal use and is a promising candidate for the topical treatment of trichomoniasis.

In vitro efficacy of curcumin on Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonosis, the disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common curable sexually transmitted disease with 174 million cases per year worldwide. The emerging resistance against the current standard therapy with metronidazole is pushing the search for alternative drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of curcumin, a derivate of Curcuma longa, on T. vaginalis. The effective concentrations (ECs) were evaluated using three strains of T. vaginaliswith different metronidazole susceptibilities (ATCC 30001, ATCC 30236 and ATCC 50138) and dilution series of curcumin in 24-well microtitre assays. Curcumin was shown to be highly effective against T. vaginalis, and the susceptibility of the different strains was not affected by an existing resistance to metronidazole. After 24 h of incubation, the EC50 ranged from 73.0 to 105.8 µg/ml and the EC90 from 216.3 to 164.9 µg/ml. In all strains tested, a 100 % eradication of all trichomonal cells within 24 h was reached at a concentration of 400 µg/ml curcumin, the 50-fold concentration still being very well tolerated by human mucosa. Altogether, curcumin seems to be a promising candidate for topical treatment of trichomonosis.