Novel insights on the potential activity of propolis and wheat germ oil against chronic toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice

Elmahallawy, Ehab Kotb; Fadaly, Hassan Ali Mohamed El; Soror, Ashraf H.; Ali, Fatma Abo Zakaib; El-Razik, Khaled A. Abd; Soliman, Y. A.; Alkhaldi, Abdulsalam A. M.; Albezrah, Nisreen Khalid Aref; Barakat, Ashraf M.

doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113811

Cited by 3 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…The current study explored the benefits of propolis, WGO, and a combination of both against chronic toxoplasmosis in mice as assessed by parasitic load and histopathological changes to the liver and lungs following treatment. In a previous study [ 56 ], we reported the ameliorative effects of WGO and propolis on the parasite burden in the uterus, brain, and kidney during chronic toxoplasmosis in mice. However, the potential influence of this combination on the parasite burden and histopathological changes in liver and lung tissues were not examined.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wheat Germ Oil and Propolis Decrease Parasite Burden and Restore Marked Histopathological Changes in Liver and Lung in Mice with Chronic Toxoplasmosis

Barakat

Fadaly

Gareh

et al. 2022

Animals

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Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution. Its effects can be critical in immunocompromised patients. However, there is a limited availability of effective, low-toxicity drugs against this disease, particularly in its chronic form. The present study evaluated the effect of propolis and wheat germ oil (WGO) as safe, natural products to reduce Toxoplasma cysts in experimentally infected mice. For the experiment, five groups (10 mice per group) were examined: Group 1: negative control (noninfected, nontreated); Group 2: positive control (infected, nontreated); Group 3: infected and treated with WGO at a dose of 0.2 mg/1.5 mL per kg body weight/day; Group 4: infected and treated with 0.1 mL propolis extract/day; and Group 5: infected and treated with a combination of WGO and propolis at the same doses as Group 3 and 4. After the mice were sacrificed, liver and lung specimens underwent histopathological examination, and the parasite burden was investigated by parasitological methods and quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Notably, the results showed a substantial decrease in parasitic burden in Group 5 compared to the control group. These results were further confirmed by molecular analysis and quantification of the DNA concentration of the Toxoplasma P29 gene after treatment in all tested samples. Furthermore, the combination of propolis and WGO restored all histopathological changes in the liver and lungs. Taken together, these findings provide remarkably promising evidence of the effects of the combination of WGO and propolis against chronic toxoplasmosis in mice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wheat Germ Oil and Propolis Decrease Parasite Burden and Restore Marked Histopathological Changes in Liver and Lung in Mice with Chronic Toxoplasmosis

Barakat

Fadaly

Gareh

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Several recent studies have combined chemical drugs with natural compounds, such as propolis, in order to enhance their synergistic effects [ 65 ]. In a previous research, we reported the potential benefits of WGO and propolis combination in the treatment of chronic toxoplasmosis in mice [ 17 , 18 ]. However, no previous work was conducted on their use against acute toxoplasmosis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Propolis extract (0.1 mL/day) and WGO (0.2 mg/1.5 mL/kg bw/day) were purchased from a local company for medicinal plants and herbs in Cairo Governorate, Egypt. Both substances were characterized using GC-MS analysis of silylated metabolites and metabolite identification as described elsewhere [ 18 , 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) is considered one of the most sensitive and specific molecular methods for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and the quantification of the parasite load. Several previous studies used RT-PCR to evaluate the herbal extract efficacy through quantification of parasite loads by targeting the p29 (GRA7) gene [ 15 ] in different treated groups [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Meanwhile, treatment of toxoplasmosis usually depends on using some chemical drugs, such as the pyrimethamine–sulfadiazine combination [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A previous study reported that WGO has a significant therapeutic effect against Cryptosporidium [ 41 ], and another study recorded that it negatively affects the motility and growth of Trichomonas vaginalis trophozoites [ 42 ]. Our group revealed the potential activity of WGO and propolis against chronic toxoplasmosis in mice by reducing the parasite burden and restoring the observed histopathological changes in various organs [ 17 , 18 ]. However, no reliable information is available about the potential use of WGO and propolis and their combination against the acute form of the disease.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Parasitological, Molecular, and Histopathological Investigation of the Potential Activity of Propolis and Wheat Germ Oil against Acute Toxoplasmosis in Mice

et al. 2023

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Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic zoonoses that affects all vertebrates. The drugs most commonly used against toxoplasmosis have many side effects, making the development of new antiparasitic drugs a big challenge. The present study evaluated the therapeutic effectiveness of novel herbal treatments, including propolis and wheat germ oil (WGO), against acute toxoplasmosis. A total of 50 albino mice were divided into five groups: group 1 (G1) (non-infected and non-treated); group 2 (G2) (infected without treatment); group 3 (G3) (treated with propolis); group 4 (G4) (treated with WGO); group 5 (G5) (treated with a combination of propolis and WGO). The effects of the herbal substances on different organs, mainly liver, spleen, and lungs, were investigated using parasitological, molecular, and histopathological examinations. The results of parasitological examination demonstrated statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in the parasitic load between treated groups (G3, G4, and G5) compared to the control positive group (G2). These differences were represented by a significant reduction in the parasite load in stained tissue smears from the liver obtained from the animals treated with propolis (G3) compared to the parasite load in the positive control group. Similarly, animals (G4) treated with WGO exhibited a significant reduction in the parasite load versus the positive control group, while the lowest parasite load was found in G5, treated with propolis and WGO. Quantification of the parasite burden through molecular methods (PCR) revealed similar findings represented by reduction in the parasite burden in all treated groups with WGO and propolis as compared to the control group. Importantly, these previous parasitological and molecular findings were accompanied by a marked improvement in the histopathological picture of the liver, spleen, and lungs. In conclusion, propolis and WGO showed a good combination of therapeutic efficacy against acute toxoplasmosis.

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Ameliorative effects of propolis and wheat germ oil on acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice are associated with reduction in parasite burden and restoration of histopathological changes in the brain, uterus, and kidney

Elmahallawy,

Ali,

Raya-Álvarez

et al. 2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Toxoplasmosis continues to be a prevalent parasitic zoonosis with a global distribution. This disease is caused by an intracellular parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii, and the development of effective novel drug targets to combat it is imperative. There is limited information available on the potential advantages of wheat germ oil (WGO) and propolis, both individually and in combination, against the acute phase of toxoplasmosis. In this study, acute toxoplasmosis was induced in Swiss albino mice, followed by the treatment of infected animals with WGO and propolis, either separately or in combination. After 10 days of experimental infection and treatment, mice from all groups were sacrificed, and their brains, uteri, and kidneys were excised for histopathological assessment. Additionally, the average parasite load in the brain was determined through parasitological assessment, and quantification of the parasite was performed using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction targeting gene amplification. Remarkably, the study found that treating infected animals with wheat germ oil and propolis significantly reduced the parasite load compared to the control group that was infected but not treated. Moreover, the group treated with a combination of wheat germ oil and propolis exhibited a markedly greater reduction in parasitic load compared to the other groups. Similarly, the combination treatment effectively restored the histopathological changes observed in the brain, uterus, and kidney, and the scoring of these reported lesions confirmed these findings. In summary, the present results reveal intriguing insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of wheat germ oil and propolis in the treatment of acute toxoplasmosis.

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Novel insights on the potential activity of propolis and wheat germ oil against chronic toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice

Cited by 3 publications

References 61 publications

Wheat Germ Oil and Propolis Decrease Parasite Burden and Restore Marked Histopathological Changes in Liver and Lung in Mice with Chronic Toxoplasmosis

Wheat Germ Oil and Propolis Decrease Parasite Burden and Restore Marked Histopathological Changes in Liver and Lung in Mice with Chronic Toxoplasmosis

Parasitological, Molecular, and Histopathological Investigation of the Potential Activity of Propolis and Wheat Germ Oil against Acute Toxoplasmosis in Mice

Ameliorative effects of propolis and wheat germ oil on acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice are associated with reduction in parasite burden and restoration of histopathological changes in the brain, uterus, and kidney

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