Efficacy of mangiferin against Cryptosporidium parvum in a neonatal mouse model.
The inhibitory activity of mangiferin (50 mg/kg/die and 100 mg/kg/die) on Cryptosporidium parvum was evaluated in a neonatal mouse model and its activity was compared with that of paromomycin (100 mg/kg/die). At 4 days of age, neonatal Swiss conventional outbred mice were experimentally infected by oral administration of 10(4) oocysts/animal of C. parvum and treated orally for 10 consecutive days, starting 7 days after the experimental infection. One group of mice was left untreated. To evaluate the efficacy of mangiferin, from euthanised mice, 3-mum-thick tissue sections of the intestine were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and periodic acid Schiff. Immunohistochemistry was also used by employing a monoclonal anti-C. parvum antibody. Oocysts were counted and results were expressed as mean oocysts number/intestine. Results obtained show that mangiferin at 100 mg/kg/die has a significant anticryptosporidial activity and that its activity is similar to that showed by the same dose (100 mg/kg/die) of paromomycin. However, both mangiferin and paromomycin were not able to completely inhibit intestinal colonization of C. parvum but only to reduce it. This reduction was calculated at over 80% for both mangiferin and paromomycin with respect to the untreated control. A significant activity was found also for mangiferin at 50 mg/kg/die only after the end of treatment.
Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Profilassi ed Igiene degli Alimenti, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge no. 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy. perrucci@vet.unipi.it
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Perrucci
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Fichi
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Buggiani
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Rossi
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Flamini
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000187:drug effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D010303:Paromomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044004:Xanthones / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D044004:Xanthones; C013592:mangiferin; D010303:Paromomycin