title: Potential effect of the medicinal plants Calotropis procera, Ficus elastica and Zingiber officinale against Schistosoma mansoni in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calotropis procera (Ait.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae), Ficus elastica Roxb. (Moraceae) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) have been traditionally used to treat many diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The antischistosomal activity of these plant extracts was evaluated against Schistosoma mansoni.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male mice exposed to 80 ± 10 cercariae per mouse were divided into two batches. The first was divided into five groups: (I) infected untreated, while groups from (II-V) were treated orally (500 mg/kg for three consecutive days) by aqueous stem latex and flowers of C. procera, latex of F. elastica and ether extract of Z. officinale, respectively. The second batch was divided into four comparable groups (except Z. officinale-treated group) similarly treated as the first batch in addition to the antacid ranitidine (30 mg/kg) 1 h before extract administration. Safety, worm recovery, tissues egg load and oogram pattern were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Calotropis procera latex and flower extracts are toxic (50-70% mortality) even in a small dose (250 mg/kg) before washing off their toxic rubber. Zingiber officinale extract insignificantly decrease (7.26%) S. mansoni worms. When toxic rubber was washed off and ranitidine was used, C. procera (stem latex and flowers) and F. elastica extracts revealed significant S. mansoni worm reductions by 45.31, 53.7 and 16.71%, respectively. Moreover, C. procera extracts produced significant reductions in tissue egg load (∼34-38.5%) and positively affected oogram pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study may be useful to supplement information with regard to C. procera and F. elastica antischistosomal activity and provide a basis for further experimental trials.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology and.
authors.forename: Sayed H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Seif el-Din
authors.forename: Naglaa M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: El-Lakkany
authors.forename: Mona A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Manal M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: Olov
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sterner
authors.forename: Sanaa S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Botros
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D031107:Calotropis / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry; D035264:Flowers; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D018547:Plant Stems; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011899:Ranitidine