Hepatoprotective Effect of Uncaria Tomentosa on Schistosoma Mansoni Experimental Infection Through Reduction of Nuclear Factor Kappa B

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a serious and neglected tropical illness with a negative influence on human health. It's treated with praziquantel (PZQ), which has been linked to resistance and reinfections. As a result, new anti-schistosomal medications are desperately needed. Medicinal plants, particularly crude preparations of medicinal herbs, have a potential treatment against schistosomiasis. Uncaria (U.) tomentosa is a rainforest plant native to the Amazon and Central America. It is commonly used in traditional medicine due to its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. This study aimed to compare both antiparasitic and hepatoprotective efficacy of U. tomentosa bark extract to PZQ in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. To evaluate its antiparasitic qualities, worm load, egg count, granuloma counts, and diameters were measured. Also, liver tissues were immune stained using nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-B), and the levels of the inflammatory proteins interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum were assessed. U. tomentosa had a substantial impact on granuloma diameter but without significant impact on worm load, tissues egg load, or granuloma numbers. It has a good hepatoprotective effects through improvement of liver enzymes and reduction of NF-.