Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T23:38:17.534Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Efficacy of maslinic acid and fenbendazole on muscle larvae of Trichinella zimbabwensis in laboratory rats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2015

S. Mukaratirwa ,
L. Gcanga  and
J. Kamau
S. Mukaratirwa*
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa
L. Gcanga
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa
J. Kamau
Affiliation:
School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197-00100Nairobi, Kenya
*
* E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by nematode species of the genus Trichinella. Anthelmintics targeting the intestinal adults and muscle-dwelling larvae of Trichinella spp. have been tested, with limited success. This study was aimed at determining the efficacy of maslinic acid and fenbendazole on muscle larvae of Trichinella zimbabwensis in laboratory rats. Forty-two Sprague–Dawley rats, with an average weight of 270 g and 180 g for males and females respectively, were infected with T. zimbabwensis larvae. Infected rats were randomly assigned to three groups which were subjected to single treatments with each of maslinic acid, fenbendazole and a combination of both on day 25 post-infection (pi), and three groups which were subjected to double treatments with each of these drugs and a combination on days 25 and 32 pi. The untreated control group received a placebo. In single-treatment groups, the efficacy of each treatment, measured by rate of reduction in muscle larvae, was significant (P< 0.001) for both drugs compared to the untreated control group. There was no apparent synergistic effect on the combination of the two drugs in reducing the muscle larval burden, either in single or double treatments. In all the treatment regimens, the reductions were significant (P< 0.001) when compared to the untreated control and not significant when the single treatments were compared with the double treatments (P>0.05). We conclude that the efficacy of maslinic acid against larval stages of T. zimbabwensis in rats was comparable to that of fenbendazole, with no side-effects observed, making maslinic acid a promising anthelmintic against larval stages of Trichinella species.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 90 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , pp. 86 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beaver, B.V., Reed, W., Leary, S., McKiernan, B., Bain, F., Schultz, R., Bennett, B.T., Pascoe, P., Shull, E., Cork, L.C., Francis-Floyd, R., Amass, K.D., Johnson, R., Schmidt, R.H., Underwood, W., Thornton, G.W. & Kohn, B. (2001) Report of the AVMA panel on euthanasia. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 218, 669–696.Google Scholar
Capo, V. & Despommier, D. (1996) Clinical aspects of infection with Trichinella species. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 9, 47–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De la Rosa, J.L., Álvarez, N. & Gómez-Priego, A. (2007) A study of the reproductive capacity of Trichinella spiralis recovered from experimentally infected mice under-dosed with albendazole or mebendazole. Tropical Biomedicine 24, 93–97.Google ScholarPubMed
De Pablos, M.D.L., Gonzalez, G., Rodrigues, R., Granados, A.G., Parra, A. & Osun, A. (2010) Action of a pentacyclic triterpenoid, maslinic acid, against Toxoplasma gondii. Journal of Natural Products 73, 831–834.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dupouy-Camet, J. & Brucshi, F. (2007) Management and diagnosis of human trichinellosis. pp. 37–68in Dupouy-Camet, J. & Murrel, K.D. (Eds) FAO, WHO, OIE Guidelines for the surveillance, management, prevention and control of trichinellosis. Paris, France, World Organization for Animal Health Press.Google Scholar
Fabricant, D.S. & Farnsworth, N.R. (2001) The value of plants used in traditional medicine for drug discovery. Environmental Health Perspectives 109, 69–75.Google ScholarPubMed
Fernandez, F.B. & Wakelin, D. (1989) Infectivity of Trichinella isolates in mice is determined by host immune responsiveness. Parasitology 99, 83–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garcia-Granados, A., Martinez, A., Parra, A. & Rivas, F. (1998) Process for the industrial recovery of oleanoic and maslinic acids contained in the olive milling subproducts. Patent number WO/1998/004-331, University of Granada, Spain.Google Scholar
Jun, L., Sun, H., Duan, W., Mu, D. & Zhang, L. (2007) Maslinic acid reduces blood glucose in KK-Ay mice. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 30, 2070–2078.Google Scholar
Kilkenny, C., Brown, W.J., Cuthill, I.C., Emerson, M. & Altman, D.G. (2010) Improving bioscience research reporting: the ARRIVE guidelines for reporting animal research. PLoS Biology 8, e1000412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kociecka, W. (2000) Trichinellosis: human disease, diagnosis and treatment. Veterinary Parasitology 93, 365–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koudela, B. & Schanzel, H. (1980) Activity of lactate dehydrogenase in the course of experimental trichinellosis in guinea pigs. Acta Veterinaria Brno 49, 85–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, Z., Zhang, L., Li, L., Liu, J., Li, H., Zhang, L., Chen, L., Cheng, K., Zheng, M., Wen, X., Zhang, P., Hao, J., Gong, Y., Zhang, X., Zhu, X., Chen, J., Liu, H., Jiang, H., Luo, C. & Sun, H. (2011) Identification of pentacyclic triterpene derivatives as potent inhibitors against glycogen phosphorylase based on 3D-QSAR studies. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 46, e2021.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liu, J., Sun, H., Duan, W., Mu, D. & Zhang, L. (2007) Maslinic acid reduces blood glucose in KK-Ay mice. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 30, 2075–2078.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moneriz, C., Mestres, J., Boutista, J.M. & Puyet, A. (2011) Multi-targeted activity of maslinic acid as an antimalarial natural compound. Federation of European Biochemical Societies Journal 278, 2951–2961.Google ScholarPubMed
Mukaratirwa, S. & Foggin, C.M. (1996) Infectivity of Trichinella sp., isolated from Crocodylus niloticus to the indigenous Zimbabwean pig (Mukota). International Journal for Parasitology 29, 1129–1131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mukaratirwa, S., Magwedere, K., Matenga, E. & Foggin, C.M. (2001) Transmission studies of Trichinella species isolated from Crocodylus niloticus and efficacy of fenbendazole and levamisole against muscle L1 stage in Balb mice. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary.Research 68, 21–25.Google Scholar
Mukaratirwa, S., Dzoma, B.M., Matenga, E., Ruziwa, S.D., SacchI, L. & Pozio, E. (2008) Experimental infections of baboons (Papio spp.) and vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) with Trichinella zimbabwensis and successful treatment with ivermectin. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 75, 173–180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mukaratirwa, S., La Grange, L. & Pfukenyi, D. (2012) Trichinella infections in animals and humans in sub-Saharan Africa: a review. Acta Tropica 125, 82–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murrell, K.D. & Pozio, E. (2000) Trichinellosis: the zoonosis that won't go quietly. International Journal for Parasitology 30, 1339–1349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pozio, E., La Rosa, G., Rossi, P. & Murrell, K.D. (1992) Biological characterization of Trichinella isolates from various host species and geographical regions. Journal of Parasitology 78, 647–653.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pozio, E., Foggin, C.M., Marucci, G., La, R.G., Sacchi, L., Corona, S., Rossi, P. & Mukaratirwa, S. (2002) Trichinella zimbabwensis n.sp. (Nematoda), a new non-encapsulated species from crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) in Zimbabwe also infecting mammals. International Journal for Parasitology 32, 1787–1799.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pozio, E., Marucci, G., Casulli, A., Sacchi, L., Mukaratirwa, S., Foggin, C.M. & Rossa, G.L.A. (2004) Trichinella papuae and Trichinella zimbabwensis induce infection in experimental varans, caimans, pythons and turtles. Parasitology 128, 333–342.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
SAS (2004) PROC IML. 9.1.3 ed.Cary, North Carolina, SAS Institute Inc.Google Scholar
Shalaby, H.A., El Namaky, A.H., Khalil, F.A. & Kandil, O.M. (2011) Efficacy of methanolic extract of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits on Toxocara vitulorum. Veterinary Parasitology 183, 386–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, G.A. & Marais, J. (2004) Stress in crocodilians – the impact of nutrition. Proceedings of the 12th Working Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group. Vol.2, pp. 2–38. Gland, Switzerland, IUCN – The World Conservation Union.Google Scholar
Soliman, G.A., Taher, E.S. & Mahmoud, M.A. (2011) Therapeutic efficacy of doramectin, ivermectin and levamisole against different stages of T. spiralis in rats. Türkiye Parazitoloji Dergisi 35, 86–91.Google ScholarPubMed