The anthelmintic efficacy of natural plant cysteine proteinases against the rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminutain vivo

Abstract

Hymenolepis diminuta is a natural parasite of the common brown rat Rattus norvegicus, and provides a convenient model system for the assessment of the anthelmintic activity of novel drugs against cestodes. The experiments described in this paper indicate that treatment of rats infected with H. diminuta with a supernatant extract of papaya latex, containing a mixture of four cysteine proteinases, was moderately efficacious, resulting in a significant, but relatively small, reduction in worm burden and biomass. However, faecal egg output was not affected by treatment. In our experiments these effects were only partially dose-dependent, although specific inhibition by E-64 confirmed the role of cysteine proteinases as the active principles in papaya latex affecting worm growth but not statistically reducing worm burden. Data collected for a further 7 days after treatment indicated that the effects of papaya latex supernatant on worm loss and on worm growth were not enhanced. Our findings provide a starting point for further refinement in formulation and delivery, or assessment of alternative natural plant-derived cysteine proteinases in efforts to develop these naturally occurring enzymes into broad-spectrum anthelmintics, with efficacy against cestodes as well as nematodes.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Hymenolepis diminuta Cysticercoid and Adult Stages

“…This analysis provided useful information regarding the molecular mechanisms behind host- Echinococcus interactions and Echinococcus biology. Comparative analyses of non-taeniid cestodes have been strikingly neglected, even though non-taeniid tapeworms (predominantly H. diminuta ) are widely used in experimental cestodology (Arai, 1980 ; Evans, 1980 ; McKay, 2006 , 2010 ; Johnston et al, 2009 , 2010 ; Melon et al, 2010 ; Shi et al, 2011 ; Bártíková et al, 2012 ; Graepel et al, 2013 ; Hernandez et al, 2013 ; Cadková et al, 2014 ; Harnett, 2014 ; Kosik-Bogacka et al, 2014 ; Shostak, 2014 ; Mansur et al, 2015 ; Reyes et al, 2015 ; Woolsey et al, 2015 ; Zawistowska-Deniziak et al, 2017 ). In the present study, we identified both stage-specific and common proteins of H. diminuta adults and cysticercoids, which helps not only to understand specific adaptations to parasitism and invasion, but may also provide the data necessary for planning experiments related to new drug targets, vaccines, or diagnostics.…”

Endoparasitas Intestinais Em Mamíferos Silvestres N Os Fragmentos De Floresta Urbana

“…Para NEVES (2016), os ovos são uma das formas de transmissão desses cestódeos, que ao serem ingeridos por meio de água e alimentos, instalam-se no intestino dos mamíferos e também em outros animais, silvestres ou domésticos. Outra forma de transmissão é através do cisticerco da Hymenolepis diminuta que são encontradas em alguns Coleopteras (carunchos), Siphonaptera (pulgas) e outros insetos que quando ingeridos pelos seus predadores como o Tamandua tetradactyla (tamanduá mirim), completam o seu ciclo, passando à forma adulta no intestino do animal; esta forma de transmissão pode parasitar a maioria dos mamíferos silvestres (REYES, 2015;PAVANELLI et al, 2015;MANSUR, 2016;LOPES, 2016). A presença desses parasitas no intestino dos mamíferos silvestres pode interferir na absorção intestinal, uma vez que quantidades significativas dos nutrientes são utilizadas pelo parasita no seu ciclo de vida, segundo ZACHARY (2002).…”

Development of an Oral Vaccine for the Control of Cysticercosis

“…Table 3 shows some reports on the characterization and evaluation of antiparasitic activity of papaya against Trichostrongylus colubrormis, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Trichuris muris, Protospirura muricola [39][40][41][42][43][44][45] Rodentolepis microstoma [42], Hymenolepis diminuta and microstoma [46]. Anoplocephala perfoliate [47] Hymenolepis diminuta [48] Hymenolepis microstoma [49] without causing side effects to the host [50,51].…”