Anti-coccidial and anti-apoptotic activities of palm pollen grains on Eimeria papillata-induced infection in mice

Abstract

The present work aimed to study the effect of palm pollen extract (PPE) as an anticoccidial and anti-apoptotic modulator during the course of murine intestinal Eimeria papillata infection. The fact that PPE has an anticoccidial efficacy against intestinal E. papillata infection in mice has been clarified by the reduction of faecal output of oocysts on day five post infection from 49.5 × 10 3 to 34 × 10 3 oocyst/g. Moreover, the number of intracellular eimerian stages of zygots and developing oocysts decreased by about 89% and that of schizonts and gamonts to 42% and 72%, respectively. E. papillata infection also induced an increase in the number of apoptotic cells from 17.5 to 122.8 apoptotic nuclei/10 villous crypt units (VCU). In addition, it caused a state of systemic inflammatory response as revealed by an elevation in levels of the pro-inflammatory biomarkers, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOs) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) from 5.3 and 78.3 to 33 pmol ml −1 and 96.3 pg ml −1 in blood, respectively, with concurrent duplication in the total leucocytic number. Upon treatment of infected mice with the aqueous PPE, the activity of iNOs was reduced by 55% and the level of TNF-α was decreased by 30%. Moreover, the total leucocytic count was significantly reduced from 9.05 × 10 3 to 7.8 × 10 3 cells/mm 3 . Based on our results, PPE showed both anti-coccidial, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities. So it can be used in developing new herbal medicine against animal coccidiosis and may be suitable agent for treating eimeriosis associated inflammatory response.

Salvadora persica protects mouse intestine from eimeriosis

“…The anti-eimerial activity of the extract resulted in a significant decrease in the number of the parasitic stages inside the jejunum. Palm pollen was reported to induce the same effect (METWALY et al, 2014). Moreover, selenium significantly reduced the number of meronts, gamonts, and developing oocysts of E. papillata (DKHIL et al, 2014).…”

Gene expression, oxidative stress and apoptotic changes in rabbit ileum experimentally infected with Eimeria intestinalis

“…Other factors that contribute to apoptosis during the course of eimeriosis are the elevation of reactive oxygen species and the presence of nitrogen intermediates and inflammatory cytokines within the infected cells (Major et al 2011, Metwaly et al 2014.…”

The ethanolic extract of date palm pollen significantly inhibited granuloma induced by Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen in vitro

“…In the agreement, DPP was found to strengthen the resistance of different tissues to different harmful pathogens and toxicants due to their high phenolic and flavonoid contents [20]. DPP extract showed significant anticoccidial, antiapoptotic, and metabolic enhancement activities on mice infected with Eimeria papillata parasite [4].…”

“…The past years have been marked by increasing search for antiparasitic drugs from natural sources, mainly from plants, which are the major source of biologically active compounds for the development of new therapies for parasitic infections [4]. Fresh date palm pollen (DPP) consists of water (5%-36%) and solids constituents (64%-95%).…”