Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Parasitology, Medical Faculty of Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Immunology, Medical Faculty of Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Parasitology, Medical Faculty of Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most important apicomplexan parasites of humen and other warm-blooded animals. In the present study the effect of garlic extract on the acute toxoplasmosis was evaluated in a murine model. A total of 35 balb/c mice were included, and 10000 were given to each mouse intraperitoneally. In the first experiment, 20 mice were given the garlic extract 100, 200, 400 and 500 mg/kg/day orally for 7 days starting the day after Toxoplasma organisms of the RH strain Toxoplasma gondii administration. A group of 5 mice were used as controls. In the second experiment, the treatment was started at 24 hours after administration and garlic tablets 100 and 500 mg/kg/day were given for 7 days. Animals that received the garlic extract and garlic tablets survived, and all of the control animals died after 4-5 days. Animals treated with garlic extract and garlic tablets showed a survival rate of 100% until the fifth day of experiment (p<0.0001). The tachizoites of Toxoplasma were disappeared in the liver of experimented mice, but they were found a few in the spleen of treated mice. Garlic extract and garlic tablets were found to be effective in the treatment of murine Toxoplasmosis. In this study there was no difference between the effects of garlic extract and garlic tablet. The results of this study has shown that garlic extract administration results in the increasement of survival time of mice that were contaminated with a killing dose of Toxoplasma and reduces the appearance of this parasite in the tissues. The best dose of garlic extract for increasing the survival time is 200 mg/kg. In conclusion, these effects could be resulted from antibacterial and immunomodulatoric effects of garlic.
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