Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease, as the World Health Organization classified it in the second category after malaria. World Health Organization approved praziquantel (PZQ) as the only chemotherapy to treat schistosomiasis. Over the years, some problems have arisen with PZQ, as it showed poor efficacy in the early stages of infection as well as the emergence of some resistance to it. In searching for new alternative drugs to treat schistosomiasis, the researchers intensified their efforts to find a new drug. The present study focuses on evaluating the effect of three plant extracts Artemisia annua, Nigella sativa, and Allium sativum at different doses of 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, and, 500 μg/ml; in vitro study was accomplished on the Schistosoma mansoni adult worms. The results declared that the concentration of 500, 250, and 125 of Artemisia annua was more effective on adult worms, and the same concentrations of Nigella sativa and Allium sativum gave less effect on the adult worms than the previous plant. In vivo study was accomplished on the hamster's tissue after exposing it to doses of the plants' extracts with different concentrations; it showed the presence of calcifications and damage to the worm eggs in the liver and spleen, as well as reducing the size of granulomas. After conducting many confirmatory studies Artemisia annua extract can be used as an effective and safe treatment for Schistosoma disease.
Highlights
The report issued by the World Health Organization [2] stated that the transmission of Schistosoma infection occurs in 78 countries, 52 of which require preventive treatment, but there is a shortage of treatment for Schistosoma due to the presence of only one drug treatment approved by the World Health Organization, which is praziquantel; this drug received to only 97.2 million of 290.8 million people that needed the treatment at the end of 2018 [2]
At the maximum nontoxic dose (MNTD) for the cytotoxicity test of the tested plant extracts (Artemisia annua, Nigella sativa, and Allium sativum), Vero cells showed no morphological differences compared to the control group, with values of 250, 350, and 300 μl/ml, respectively
The effect of aqueous extracts of Artemisia annua, Nigella sativa, and Allium sativum on S. mansoni was directly dependent on the concentration and incubation time
Summary
The infectious diseases are caused by these five organisms: viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and helminths, infecting any other organism. There are many species of Schistosoma, including Schistosoma mansoni, that causes schistosomiasis, which is considered one of the main important infectious parasitic diseases in the tropical world. Schistosomiasis imposes a global economic and social burden compared to HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, due to infecting of more than 250 million people and 800 million others exposed to infection all over the world. It is a neglected disease and is ranked as a second category in worldwide spreading after malaria [1]. The World Health Organization estimates that schistosomiasis is responsible for more than 200,000 deaths annually around the world [2]
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