Ginger (Zingiber Officinale)-derived nanoparticles in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice: Hepatoprotective and enhancer of etiological treatment

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2021-05, Vol.15 (5), p.e0009423
• Main Authors: Abd El Wahab, Wegdan M, El-Badry, Ayman A, Mahmoud, Soheir S, El-Badry, Yaser A, El-Badry, Mohamed A, Hamdy, Doaa A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anthelmintics - administration & dosage; Antiparasitic agents; Biology and Life Sciences; Care and treatment; Drug delivery systems; Drug development; Drug dosages; Drug Therapy, Combination; Drugs; Eggs; Engineering and Technology; Ethical standards; Etiology; Ginger; Granuloma; Granulomas; Health aspects; Infections; International standardization; International standards; Liver; Liver - parasitology; Male; Materia medica, Vegetable; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mefloquine - administration & dosage; Mice; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Nanotechnology; Oxidative stress; Parasite Egg Count; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Praziquantel - administration & dosage; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; Research centers; Scanning electron microscopy; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - drug effects; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis mansoni - drug therapy; Testing; Tropical diseases; Vehicles; Worms; Zingiber officinale; Zingiber officinale - chemistry
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009423

Nanotechnology has been manufactured from medicinal plants to develop safe, and effective antischistosmal alternatives to replace today's therapies. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prophylactic effect of ginger-derived nanoparticles (GNPs), and the therapeutic effect of ginger aqueous extract, and GNPs on Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infected mice compared to praziquantel (PZQ), and mefloquine (MFQ). Eighty four mice, divided into nine different groups, were sacrificed at 6th, 8th, and 10th week post-infection (PI), with assessment of parasitological, histopathological, and oxidative stress parameters, and scanning the worms by electron microscope. As a prophylactic drug, GNPs showed slight reduction in worm burden, egg density, and granuloma size and number. As a therapeutic drug, GNPs significantly reduced worm burden (59.9%), tissue egg load (64.9%), granuloma size, and number at 10th week PI, and altered adult worm tegumental architecture, added to antioxidant effect. Interestingly, combination of GNPs with PZQ or MFQ gave almost similar or sometimes better curative effects as obtained with each drug separately. The highest therapeutic effect was obtained when ½ dose GNPs combined with ½ dose MFQ which achieved 100% reduction in both the total worm burden, and ova tissue density as early as the 6th week PI, with absence of detected eggs or tissue granuloma, and preservation of liver architecture. GNPs have a schistosomicidal, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective role. GNPs have a strong synergistic effect when combined with etiological treatments (PZQ or MFQ), and significantly reduced therapeutic doses by 50%, which may mitigate side effects and resistance to etiological drugs, a hypothesis requiring further research. We recommend extending this study to humans.