Detection of the effect of Usnea florida lichen extract on the implantation and fertility of the adult stage of Trichinella spiralis in BALB/c mice

Abstract

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK WAS TO ANALYZE THE IN VITRO EFFECT OF THE ANTIPARASITIC PROPERTIES OF USNEA FL ORIDA IN THE IMPLANTATION AND FERTILITY OF THE ADULT PARASITE OF TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS IN MURINE MICE. FIVE GROUPS WITH FOUR FEMALE BALB/C MICE WERE MADE. FOUR GROUPS WERE INFECTED WITH T. SPIRALIS LARVAE AND THREE GROUPS RECEIVED ORAL TREATMENT WITH 700 µG/ML OF USNEA FL ORIDA LICHEN EXTRACT, 50 MG/KG OF ALBENDAZOLE AND 4% DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE FOR THREE DAYS. THE FOURTH GROUP WAS UNTREATED AND THE FIFTH GROUP WAS USED AS A NEGATIVE CONTROL. BLOOD AND SMALL INTESTINE SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM EVERY MOUSE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF DNA FROM ADULT PARASITES AND NEWBORN T. SPIRALIS LARVAE. RESULTS SHOWED A DECREASE OF 66% OF LARVAE IMPLANTATION AN A REDUCTION OF 43% IN ADULT FEMALES FERTILITY WITH AN AKINETIC EFFECT IN THE NEWBORN LARVAE THAT DID NOT MIGRATE TO THE BLOODSTREAM. THESERESULTS WERE CONFIRMED BY NEGATIVE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION TEST IN BLOOD FROM ANIMALS THAT WERE INFECTED AND TREATED WITH USNEA FLORIDA. IN CONTRAST, POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION WAS POSITIVE IN THE CONTROL GROUP INFECTED BUT NOT TREATED. THESE RESULTS SUGGESTEDTHAT USNEA FLORIDA CAN BE USED FOR TREATMENT OF THIS DISEASE, SINCE IMPLANTATION OF ADULT FEMALES IS DECREASED AND FERTILITY IS REDUCED, AND NEWBORN LARVAE ARE IMMOBILIZED AND CANNOT MIGRATE TO THE BLOODSTREAM AND LODGE IN MUSCLE TISSUE.