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

Abstract

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.

Potent In Vitro and In Vivo Effects of Stachys lavandulifolia Methanolic Extract against Toxoplasma gondii Infection

“…The work revealed the potential synergistic effects of propolis and WGO on an herbal substance that could be considered an effective treatment of acute toxoplasmosis infection. These herbal substances reduced the parasite load significantly [ 33 ].…”

“…In line with the previous investigations, we found the presence of some other secondary metabolites, such as glycosides, tannins, and terpenoids, was also confirmed in this extract [ 9 , 10 ]. Barakat et al (2023) stated that propolis has many plant secondary metabolite contents (phenolic compounds) that work against many extracellular and intracellular protozoan parasites [ 33 ]. Reviews have demonstrated the antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic effects of flavonoids and phenolic compounds [ 37 , 38 ].…”

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

“…It has been reported in many in vitro and in vivo studies for its ability to reduce the oxidative stress, improve the lipid metabolism, enhance the fertility, and inhibit the carcinogenesis (25,26,(28)(29)(30). Owing to the active ingredients of both propolis and WGO, they are commonly used as herbal therapies in many diseased conditions, including chronic toxoplasmosis (31)(32)(33)(34). However, their potential protective effect against acute toxoplasmosis is not clear yet.…”