title: A safe, effective, herbal antischistosomal therapy derived from myrrh.
abstract: Schistosomiasis is a widespread helminthic disease. Treatment of schistosomiasis is based on chemotherapy with praziquantel, which is the drug of choice. Since resistance to praziquantel has been demonstrated, alternative drugs must be considered. Myrrh is an oleo-gum resin from the stem of the plant Commiphora molmol. This study was carried out on 204 patients with schistosomiasis. The drug was given at a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight/day for three days, and induced a cure rate of 91.7%. Re-treatment of cases who did not respond with a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight/day for six days gave a cure rate of 76.5%, increasing the overall cure rate to 98.09%. The drug was well tolerated, and side effects were mild and transient. Twenty cases provided biopsy specimens six months after treatment and none of them showed living ova.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Students' University Hospital, Mansoura University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sheir
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massoud
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Salama
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Badra
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Shennawy
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hammad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D029744:Commiphora; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012556:Schistosomicides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010938:Plant Oils; D012556:Schistosomicides; D013729:Terpenes; C014119:myrrh oil