Antihelminic Activity of Carvacrol, Thymol, Cinnamaldehyde and P-Cymen Against the Free-Living Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and Rat Pinworm Syphacia muris

Vladimir Magaš,Mirjana Milovanović,Danica Bogunović,Nemanja Zdravković,M Saša Trailović,Darko Marinković,S Đorđe Marjanović

doi:10.2478/acve-2018-0036

Vladimir Magaš, Mirjana Milovanović + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2478/acve-2018-0036

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Abstract

Abstract In the present study we tested the dose andh time dependence of the antinematodal effects of carvacrol and tyhmol on Caenorabditis elegans, and the efficacy of carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene and cinnamaldehyde,which were administrated in the drinking water of rats naturally infected with the pinworm Syphacia muris. The control treatment of the infected rats was carried out with piperazine. Thymol caused a dose and time-dependent mortality in adult C. elegans. The value of the Median Lethal Concentration (LC50) of thymol was 117.9nM after 24h and 62.89 nM after 48h of exposure. Carvacrol exhibited a higher antinematodal efficiency than thymol. The LC50 of carvacrol, after 24 hours of exposure, was 53.03 nM, while after 48 hours it was 33.83 nM. On the other hand, piperazine showed an extremely high efficacy against S. muris infection in rats. Piperazine, at a dose of 625 mg/kg bw, administered in drinking water continuously for 10 days, eliminates the infection completely. However, none of the investigated active ingredients of essential oils were effective against S. muris. The reason for the lack of efficiency may be due to their pharmacokinetic properties. A relatively low amount of, orally administered, active ingredients of essential oils reaches the distal segments of the gastrointestinal tract, where S. muris inhabits the gut (colon and cecum). The obtained results, on C. elegans, indicate a clear dose and time-dependent antinematodal effect of thymol and carvacrol. However, for clinical application, it is necessary to examine the efficacy of microencapsulated formulations with a controlled release of active ingredients of essential oils in certain parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

Highlights

Nematodes are the most diverse of all animals, over 28000 nematode species have been described, of which over 16000 are parasitic [1]
By analyzing the video of treated nematodes in the period between 24 and 48 hours it was observed that the pharyngeal pumping in C. elegans slows down and stops before the termination of the movement
+ positive test; – negative test; +/- positive test in a small number of animals; * 10th day DISCUSSION The obtained results confirmed that the C. elegans can be successfully used as a model for testing the effects of various substances with potential antinematodial properties

Summary

Introduction

Nematodes are the most diverse of all animals, over 28000 nematode species have been described, of which over 16000 are parasitic [1]. For the pharmacotherapy of parasitic infections, it is important to introduce some new drugs, with new mechanism of action, which would be effective and at the same time safe for the host. Essential oils (EOs) are among the class of natural products that have an anthelmintic activity and may be an alternative treatment for the control of gastrointestinal nematode infections [2,3]. Plants produce EOs as organic products of secondary metabolism. Their active principles, based on the pharmacological characteristics are potentially the most serious alternative drugs. These herbal medicines could replace the classical antiparasitic drugs but their effectiveness must still be tested, both in vitro and in vivo

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