title: Giardia intestinalis: effects of Pulsatilla chinensis extracts on trophozoites.
abstract: Pulsatilla chinensis is a medicinal root plant that has been used to treat a wide range of disease conditions. Our study determined the antiprotozoal activity of various P. chinensis extracts and fractions against Giardia intestinalis including their effects on parasite growth, cell viability, adherence, and morphology. Ethyl acetate extracts (IC50 = 257.081 μg/ml) were the most active to inhibit the growth of G. intestinalis followed by aqueous extract (PWE), saponins, and n-butanol extract. The PWE and ethyl acetate extract inhibited G. intestinalis trophozoites adherence after 3 h of incubation and killed almost 50 % of the parasite population in a time-dependent manner. Changes in morphology, presence of precipitates in the cytoplasm, dissolved cytoplasm with large vacuole, break of flagella and ventral disk, membrane blebs, and intracellular and nuclear clearance of the treated trophozoites were observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We demonstrated that P. chinensis induced these changes in G. intestinalis morphology and consequently has potential therapeutic use against giardiasis.
authors: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China.
authors: Ling-Dan
authors: LD
authors: Li
authors: Wen-Chao
authors: WC
authors: Li
authors: Cheng-Wu
authors: CW
authors: Liu
authors: Wei-Jing
authors: WJ
authors: Shi
authors: Peng-Tao
authors: PT
authors: Gong
authors: Jian-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Li
authors: Guo-Cai
authors: GC
authors: Zhang
authors: Ju
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: He
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Xi-Chen
authors: XC
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015388:Organelles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031946:Pulsatilla / Q000737:chemistry*; D053058:Trophozoites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts