Tinospora Cordifolia Aqueous Extract Ameliorates the Systemic Infection of Aspergillus Fumigatus in Balb/C Mice

Abstract

Objective: The present study was aimed to assess the antifungal activity of Tinospora cordifolia aqueous extract (TCAE) against Aspergillus fumigatus infection.
 Methods: TCAE was tested for in vitro antifungal activity against the isolates of A. fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus niger. To evaluate in vivo activity, various doses (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) of TCAE were orally administered in A. fumigatus-infected mice for 7 days. The combination of prophylactic and therapeutic effect of TCAE was assessed by pre-treating the mice with 10 mg/kg of TCAE for 3 consecutive days before exposing them to A. fumigatus. Mice were treated with 10, 25, and 50 mg/kg doses of TCAE for 7 consecutive days’ post-A. fumigatus infection. The effectiveness of TCAE was evaluated by monitoring the survival rate and assessing the fungal burden in the kidney of the treated mice.
 Results: A. fumigatus-infected mice treated with TCAE at the doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg exhibited 50% and 20% survival rate, respectively, observed on day 40 post-treatment. Like to the survival data, the fungal burden was also found to be the lowest in the kidney of mice treated with TCAE at a dose of 50 mg/kg. The results showed that pre-treatment with TCAE (10 mg/kg) followed by post-infection treatment with 10, 25, and 50 mg/kg of TCAE for 7 days resulted in 40%, 50%, and 70% survival rate, respectively.
 Conclusions: These results suggest that TCAE may potentially be considered for its possible use in the treatment of the systemic infection of A. fumigatus.

The chemical constituents and diverse pharmacological importance of Tinospora cordifolia

“…To evaluate in vivo activity, different doses (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) of TCAE were orally administered in A. fumigatus-infected mice for seven days for the evaluation of in vivo activity. The effectiveness of aqueous extract on the basic survival rate and assessing the fungal burden in the kidney of the treated mice [68]. Prasad et al, studied the anti-oxidant and antimicrobial properties phenolic extract of T. cordifolia stem and root.…”

Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy): An insight on the multifarious pharmacological paradigms of a most promising medicinal ayurvedic herb

“…The anti-bacterial activity of T. cordifolia extracts has been found against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogene, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Micrococcus luteus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, Serratia marcesenses, Staphylococcus aureus , and Staphylococcus epidermidis [ 14 , 15 , 146 ]. An aqueous extract of T. cordifolia showed potent antifungal activity against the fungus Aspergillus in-vitro [ 147 , 148 ]. Likewise, the ethanolic extract of T. cordifolia formulation used against Streptococcus mutans showed maximum anti-microbial activity tested in-vitro [ 149 , 150 ].…”

“…T. cordifolia ethanol extract also showed maximum free radical scavenging activity tested in-vitro [ 151 ]. Various doses of T. cordifolia aqueous extract administered orally to Aspergillus species showed a better survival rate and an effective decrease in fungal burden, in-vivo [ 148 ].…”