Antigiardial and immunostimulatory effect of Piper longum on giardiasis due to Giardia lamblia

Abstract

Piper longum fruit, used in traditional remedies as well as in the Ayurvedic system of medicine against intestinal disorders, was tested for its efficacy against experimental infection of Giardia lamblia in mice. On in vitro test, an aqueous extract of P. longum fruit powder (PF) at 250 microg/mL and its ethanol extract at 125 microg/mL showed 100% giardicidal activity. A low order activity was found in the n-butanol extract. Further fractionation in hexane and chloroform resulted in a total loss of activity. The survival of-trophozoites in mice at 900 mg/kg body weight was 11.12 in PF, 8. 54 in aqueous extract, 5.81 in ethanol extract. The antigiardial activity of PF in hexane, chloroform and n-butanol soluble fractions was comparable to the drug-untreated control (47.63). Piper longum possessed a demonstrable immunostimulatory activity, both specific and nonspecific, as evident from the standard test parameters such as haemagglutination titre (HA), plaque forming cell (PFC) counts, macrophage migration index (MMI) and phagocytic index (PI). A maximum effect was found at 225 mg/kg body weight in mice. The effect was marginally reduced at higher doses of 450 and 900 mg/kg or the lower dose of 112.5 mg/kg.

The in vitro anti-giardial activity of extracts from plants that are used for self-medication by AIDS patients in southern Thailand

“…This is the first report of an extract from the leaves of P. betle inhibiting the human pathogen, G. intestinalis, growing in vitro. An aqueous and ethanol extract of Piper longum, a closely related species to P. chaba, was reported to inhibit the growth of G. intestinalis both in vitro and in vivo (Tripathi et al 1999), and it has been successfully used as part of a drug formulation to treat giardiasis in patients in India (Agarwal et al 1997). In addition, several researchers (Ghoshal et al 1996;Sawangjaroen et al 2004) have also reported its ability to inhibit E. histolytica both in vitro and in vivo.…”

Treatment of Giardiasis

“…The immunomodulatory herbal drug Pippali rasayana, often prescribed for the treatment of worm infections and chronic dysentery in India, achieved a 98% cure of murine infection with G. lamblia (6). Extracts of Piper longum fruit were effective in a mouse model of infection (241).…”

The anti-amoebic activity of some medicinal plants used by AIDS patients in southern Thailand

“…The activity of extract from P. longum fruit against amoebiasis in mice (Sawangjaroen et al 2004) and against Blastocystis hominis in vitro was also reported. In addition, its aqueous and ethanol extracts inhibited growth of Giardia lamblia, both in vitro and in vivo (Tripathi et al 1999), and it has been successfully used in part of a drug formulation to treat giardiasis in patients in India (Agarwal et al 1997). It is not surprising that the results of the experiments presented in this paper correlate well with those of other researchers.…”