Abstract
A significant number of studies report growing resistance in nematodes thriving in both humans and livestock. This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficiency of Curcubita pepo (C. pepo) L. hot water extract (HWE), cold water extract (CWE) or ethanol extract (ETE) on two model nematodes: Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and Heligmosoides bakeri (H. bakeri). Methods: Raman, IR and LC-MS spectroscopy analyses were performed on the studied plant material to deliver qualitative and quantitative data on the composition of the obtained extracts: ETE, HWE and CWE. The in vitro activity evaluation showed an impact of C. pepo extracts on C. elegans and different developmental stages of H. bakeri. The following in vivo experiments on mice infected with H. bakeri confirmed inhibitory properties of the most active pumpkin extract selected by the in vitro study. All of the extracts were found to contain cucurbitine, aminoacids, fatty acids, and-for the first time-berberine and palmatine were identified. All C. pepo seed extracts exhibited a nematidicidal potential in vitro, affecting the survival of L1 and L2 H. bakeri larvae. The ETE was the strongest and demonstrated a positive effect on H. bakeri eggs hatching and marked inhibitory properties against worm motility, compared to a PBS control. No significant effects of pumpkin seed extracts on C. elegans integrity or motility were found. The EtOH extract in the in vivo studies showed anthelmintic properties against both H. bakeri fecal egg counts and adult worm burdens. The highest egg counts reduction was observed for the 8 g/kg dose (IC50 against H. bakeri = 2.43; 95% Cl = 2.01–2.94). A decrease in faecal egg counts (FEC) was accompanied by a significant reduction in worm burden of the treated mice compared to the control group. Conclusions: Pumpkin seed extracts may be used to control of Gastrointestinal (G.I.) nematode infections. This relatively inexpensive alternative to the currently available chemotherapeutic should be considered as a novel drug candidate in the nearest future.
Highlights
Gastrointestinal (G.I.) parasites are serious pathogens in humans, domestic livestock and wild animals
Efforts at evaluating various medicinal plants for their anthelmintic potential are being made in different parts of the world [18,19] ncluding those representatives of the Cucurbitaceae family, which are administered in traditional medicine as antiparasitic agents
The aim of the study was to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of pumpkin extracts and analyze their composition to explain the traditional application of this vegetable as anti-parasitic drug
Summary
Gastrointestinal (G.I.) parasites are serious pathogens in humans, domestic livestock and wild animals. Intestinal nematodes in particular are known to be highly prevalent in human populations worldwide, with an estimated 3.5 billion people being infected every year [1,2]. They are responsible for high morbidity, weight loss, poor reproductive status and likely mortality in livestock, resulting in high economic losses in agriculture [3,4,5]. Due to increasing development and the spread of drug resistance within worm populations, some concerns over new drug residues and a growing interest in alternative sources of anthelmintics are on the rise [13,14,15,16,17]. Efforts at evaluating various medicinal plants for their anthelmintic potential are being made in different parts of the world [18,19] ncluding those representatives of the Cucurbitaceae family, which are administered in traditional medicine as antiparasitic agents
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