Evaluation of Moringa oleifera extract and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as therapeutic agents against chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic infection caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, remains a significant global health concern, with seroprevalence exceeding 60% in specific regions. Given the limitations of current therapies for chronic stages, this study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of Moringa oleifera (MO) extract and MO-loaded copper-based metal-organic frameworks (MO@L-AA-Cu) in a murine model. Sixty-five female Swiss albino mice were utilized. Following the establishment of a negative control group (n=5), the remaining mice were orally inoculated with 20 cysts of the T. gondii ME49 strain to induce chronic infection. Treatment efficacy was evaluated via brain cyst quantification, histopathological examination of the brain, eyes, and spleen, and molecular analysis using RT-PCR. All treatment groups exhibited significant reductions in parasitic load compared to the positive control. The highest reduction was observed in group G3e (73.61%), followed by G3c (61.64%), G3d (56.91%), G3a (54.64%), and G3b (44.33%). Histopathological findings demonstrated a marked attenuation of inflammatory infiltrates, fibrosis, and structural tissue damage in groups receiving MO and Spiramycin encapsulated within Cu-MOFs. RT-PCR results corroborated these findings, identifying the lowest parasite DNA levels in the G3e cohort. The integration of MO extract and Spiramycin into L-AA-Cu MOFs significantly enhances their antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory properties. These findings suggest…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Quercetin Influences Quorum Sensing in Food Borne Bacteria: In-Vitro and In-Silico Evidence
- Phenolic-protein interactions: insight from in-silico analyses – a review
- In Silico Discovery of Candidate Drugs against Covid-19
- Neuropharmacological Effects of Quercetin: A Literature-Based Review
- In vitro and in silico anti-dengue activity of compounds obtained from Psidium guajava through bioprospecting
- Effect of Quercetin Rich Onion Extracts on Bacterial Quorum Sensing
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.