Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon
Onchocerciasis is a parasitic infection affecting a relatively small population globally but has very devastating pathological outcomes. Ivermectin and recently moxidectin are the only drugs approved for clinical management of the disease, both of which have several limitations. In particular, they...
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Wiley
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Parasitology Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/1663330 |
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| author | Thierry Roland Kang Jerome Nyhalah Dinga Ayuk Elizabeth Orock Elvis Monya Moses Njutain Ngemenya |
| author_facet | Thierry Roland Kang Jerome Nyhalah Dinga Ayuk Elizabeth Orock Elvis Monya Moses Njutain Ngemenya |
| author_sort | Thierry Roland Kang |
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| description | Onchocerciasis is a parasitic infection affecting a relatively small population globally but has very devastating pathological outcomes. Ivermectin and recently moxidectin are the only drugs approved for clinical management of the disease, both of which have several limitations. In particular, they are efficacious against microfilariae (microfilaricidal) with no activity against adult worms (nonmacrofilaricidal). Promising anthelmintic activity has been reported in some lichens. This study investigated three lichens, Usnea articulata, Parmotrema tinctorum, and Heterodermia obscurata, found on Mount Cameroon, for potential macrofilaricidal activity. Organic extracts were screened for anti-Onchocerca activity against Onchocerca ochengi isolated from cattle skin using worm motility and MTT formazan assays. Toxicity of highly active extracts was investigated on monkey kidney epithelial (LLCMK2) cells and in BALB/c mice (2000 mg/kg body weight) including effects on liver enzymes. The methanol extract of P. tinctorum (Pammet) was the most active against adult male worms (IC50=8.1 μg/mL) with the highest selectivity index (SI=21.3). U. articulata was the most active against the adult female (IC50=36.3 μg/mL) but had a low SI value (3.4). No mortality and no adverse effects were recorded in the acute toxicity test. These two most active extracts had no significant effect on liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate (P values < 0.05), but a high AST : ALT ratio (2.59) for Pammet indicates likely reversible adverse hepatic toxicity. The high macrofilaricidal activity and selectivity of P. tinctorum suggest it is a potential source of new macrofilaricides which should be further investigated to identify its bioactive constituents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-56cefbbd50654ff68c5b9eb157f6390d |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Journal of Parasitology Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-56cefbbd50654ff68c5b9eb157f6390d2025-02-03T01:30:39ZengWileyJournal of Parasitology Research2090-00312022-01-01202210.1155/2022/1663330Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount CameroonThierry Roland Kang0Jerome Nyhalah Dinga1Ayuk Elizabeth Orock2Elvis Monya3Moses Njutain Ngemenya4Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Environmental ScienceDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyOnchocerciasis is a parasitic infection affecting a relatively small population globally but has very devastating pathological outcomes. Ivermectin and recently moxidectin are the only drugs approved for clinical management of the disease, both of which have several limitations. In particular, they are efficacious against microfilariae (microfilaricidal) with no activity against adult worms (nonmacrofilaricidal). Promising anthelmintic activity has been reported in some lichens. This study investigated three lichens, Usnea articulata, Parmotrema tinctorum, and Heterodermia obscurata, found on Mount Cameroon, for potential macrofilaricidal activity. Organic extracts were screened for anti-Onchocerca activity against Onchocerca ochengi isolated from cattle skin using worm motility and MTT formazan assays. Toxicity of highly active extracts was investigated on monkey kidney epithelial (LLCMK2) cells and in BALB/c mice (2000 mg/kg body weight) including effects on liver enzymes. The methanol extract of P. tinctorum (Pammet) was the most active against adult male worms (IC50=8.1 μg/mL) with the highest selectivity index (SI=21.3). U. articulata was the most active against the adult female (IC50=36.3 μg/mL) but had a low SI value (3.4). No mortality and no adverse effects were recorded in the acute toxicity test. These two most active extracts had no significant effect on liver enzymes, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate (P values < 0.05), but a high AST : ALT ratio (2.59) for Pammet indicates likely reversible adverse hepatic toxicity. The high macrofilaricidal activity and selectivity of P. tinctorum suggest it is a potential source of new macrofilaricides which should be further investigated to identify its bioactive constituents.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/1663330 |
| spellingShingle | Thierry Roland Kang Jerome Nyhalah Dinga Ayuk Elizabeth Orock Elvis Monya Moses Njutain Ngemenya Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon Journal of Parasitology Research |
| title | Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon |
| title_full | Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon |
| title_fullStr | Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon |
| title_short | Macrofilaricidal Activity, Acute and Biochemical Effects of Three Lichen Species Found on Mount Cameroon |
| title_sort | macrofilaricidal activity acute and biochemical effects of three lichen species found on mount cameroon |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/1663330 |
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