curcumin and Fascioliasis

Curcumin and nisin have been widely reported for their antibacterial and anticancer potency. However, their therapeutic applications are hampered by several factors, which necessitate their development into nanosize ranges for improved delivery and activities. Their incorporation into a single nanosynthesized form may suggest desirable efficacy on parasites. The aim of the study was to assess the ovicidal activity of the curcumin-nisin polylactic acid (PLA) entrapped nanoparticle on the Fasciola eggs and its reproductive toxicity.. The nanoparticle was formulated by double emulsion method. The eggs of the adult Fasciola spp. were exposed to different concentrations (0.3125-5 mg/mL) of the nanoparticle to monitor hatchability. Mice were exposed to 0.5 mL of the formulated drug at varying concentrations (10-20 mg/kg) and then sacrificed for sperm morphology assay.. The mean particle size, polydispersity index, and drug entrapment efficiency of the formulated drug were 288.4±24.3 nm, 0.232, and 51.7%, respectively. The highest nanoparticulate concentration (5 mg/mL) showed the least percentage egg hatching (41.7%) compared with the other treatment groups and positive control (albendazole) (45.1%). The aberrations observed in sperm cells were not concentration-dependent and no significant differences were observed in the mean aberrations between the nanoparticulate drug-exposed groups and the negative control (p>0.05).. The results confirmed the ovicidal activity of the curcumin-nisin nanoparticulate drug against the Fasciola species. The formulation also showed no toxicity to sperm cells. More robust studies on anti-fascioliasis activity of the drug on adult Fasciola spp. and in vivo and in vitro toxicity studies are recommended.

Topics: Albendazole; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Curcumin; Fasciola; Fascioliasis; Male; Mice; Nanoparticles; Nisin; Particle Size; Polyesters; Reproduction

Praziquantel has been used for the treatment of liver fluke infection, but an oxidative/nitrative stress may occur after a short-term treatment and participate in side effects. In an attempt to reduce the adverse effects, we administered curcumin, an anti-inflammatory agent, to Opisthorchis viverrini-infected hamsters treated with praziquantel. At 12h after treatment, curcumin decreased eosinophil infiltration and increased mononuclear cell infiltration in parallel with nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 expression at the transcriptional and protein levels. Curcumin also enhanced the expression of genes involved in the Nrf2-regulated stress pathway (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, NAD(P)H:quinine oxidoreductase 1, glutamate cysteine ligase, and activating transcription factor 3, peroxiredoxin 3, peroxiredoxin 6, manganese superoxide dismutase, and catalase), leading to increased ferric antioxidant capacity in the plasma. In contrast, curcumin decreased the level of oxidative and nitrative stress markers such as urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, plasma levels of malondialdehyde and nitrate/nitrite, and activity of plasma alanine transaminase, a liver injury marker. This correlated with the suppression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and related molecules (cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α). In conclusion, curcumin may be an effective chemopreventive agent against oxidative and nitrative stress derived from praziquantel treatment during O. viverrini infection via induction of Nrf2 and suppression of NF-κB-mediated pathways. Nrf2 may also be a novel therapeutic target for not only parasitic diseases but other types of inflammation-mediated diseases.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Cricetinae; Curcumin; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Fascioliasis; Male; Mesocricetus; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; NF-kappa B; Oxidative Stress; Praziquantel; Reactive Nitrogen Species; Reactive Oxygen Species