Effect of Hypericum thymbrifolium BOISS. ET NOE, Hypericum scabrum L. and Eryngium creticum LAM. plant extracts on Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum/donovani strains and their cytotoxic potential.

Leishmaniasis causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In our country, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of leishmaniasis in the last decade. In our study, the effects of Hypericum thymbrifolium, Hypericum scabrum and Eryngium creticum plant extracts were tested on Leishmania major, Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum/donovani, which were clinically resistant by not responding to Glucantime® therapy. Cytotoxicity of these extracts were evaluated by XTT method in the human fibroblast cell line. Possible active ingredients were detected by GC-MS analysis from plant extracts. Glucantime® resistance was detected at concentrations of 50 µg/mL and lower in 4 of the 7 strains tested. No living leishmania parasites were found in leishmania strains treated with plant extracts at concentrations of 100 µg/mL or higher. The concentrations of plant extracts included in the study on the WI-38 human fibroblast cell line were not cytotoxic. According to the GC-MS analysis, several active substances with biological activities and anti-parasitic effects, such as Thiophene, Germacrene-D, trans-Geranylgeraniol, Pyridine, and Maleimides, were identified. Based on the findings of the study, it is believed that these identified active substances when supported by in-vivo studies, will pave the way for future research and have the potential to be developed as anti-leishmania drugs.

Metronidazole resistance in Trichomonas vaginalis determined by molecular and conventional methods.

Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) is a protozoan parasite that infects the urogenital tract of both women and men worldwide. Trichomoniasis can cause serious symptoms if untreated. Metronidazole is the drug of choice for the treatment of trichomoniasis. In recent years metronidazole-resistant T. vaginalis has often been mentioned in clinical isolates. The aim of this study was to determine the conventional and molecular methods to determine metronidazole-resistant T. vaginalis, which is seen commonly and to discuss the possible reasons for this. Samples taken from patients diagnosed with T. vaginalis from the gynaecology and obstetrics clinic between April 2015 and June 2016 were evaluated for metronidazoleresistance using molecular and conventional methods. A total of 170 patients were examined and T. vaginalis was determined in 6 (3.5%) patients. Metronidazole resistance was determined in 2 (33.3%) of the 6 clinical isolates as a result of the molecular and conventional tests applied. Metronidazole resistance was determined using nitroreductase genes ntr4Tv and ntr6Tv. These findings suggest that metronidazole-resistance T. vaginalis strains can be determined in laboratory samples of cases with trichomoniasis. This may be an important underlying factor in the unsuccessful management of recurrent cases seen in routine gynecological practice.