title: The effects of extracts from anti-diarrheic Thai medicinal plants on the in vitro growth of the intestinal protozoa parasite: Blastocystis hominis.
abstract: The activities of n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts from five anti-diarrheic Thai medicinal plants, Acacia catechu (Fabaceae) resin, Amaranthus spinosus (Amaranthaceae) whole plant, Brucea javanica (Simaroubaceae) seed, Piper longum (Piperaceae) fruit and Quercus infectoria (Fagaceae) nut gall were tested against the in vitro growth of fresh isolates of the intestinal protozoan parasite, Blastocystis hominis. The extracts at concentrations that ranged from 62.5 to 2000 microg/mL, were incubated with several isolates of Blastocystis hominis for 48 h. The activities were classified as killed, inhibited, moderately inhibited and not-inhibited. Dichloromethane and methanol extracts from the Brucea javanica seed and a methanol extract from Quercus infectoria nut gall showed the highest activity. At a concentration of 2000 microg/mL, the three extracts killed 82, 75 and 67% of the Blastocystis hominis samples tested and inhibited 94, 100 and 76% of them, respectively. Metronidazole, used as a reference antiprotozoan drug, at a concentration of 40 microg/mL, killed 97% of the Blastocystis hominis isolates and inhibited all samples tested at concentrations that ranged from 1.25 to 20 microg/mL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. nongyao.s@psu.ac.th
authors.forename: Nongyao
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawangjaroen
authors.forename: Kitja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawangjaroen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000737:chemistry*; D016844:Blastocystis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D032269:Brucea / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology*; D006586:Hexanes; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008752:Methylene Chloride / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D029963:Quercus / Q000737:chemistry; D012116:Resins, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D000930:Antidiarrheals; D006586:Hexanes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012116:Resins, Plant; D008795:Metronidazole; C026385:n-hexane; D008752:Methylene Chloride; D000432:Methanol