title: Methanolic extract of Peganum harmala exhibit potent activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts and its encystment in vitro.
abstract: Acanthamoeba castellanii is member of free living amoeba that may cause painful sight-threatening keratitis and life threatening encephalitis which involves central nervous system. Treatments for both infections are problematic because of the amoebic cysts resistance to therapeutic agents. Here we evaluated in vitro strength of methanolic seed extract of Peganum harmala on Acanthamoeba cysts and its encystment mechanism. Our results revealed seed extracts (1 to 30mg/ml) exhibited amoebicidal effects against Acanthamoeba cysts. Furthermore Acanthamoeba encystment was also inhibited in concentration dependent manner with maximum inhibition at 2µg/ml after 48h incubation. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time that methanolic extracts exhibit remarkable inhibition of Acanthamoeba cysts and encystment in vitro which could serve a potential new natural agent against Acanthamoeba.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Lab Technology, University of Haripur, Hattar Road, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hafiz Muhammad
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Shohaib
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Salik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nawaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Lab Technology, University of Haripur, Hattar Road, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan / Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Almajmaah, Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matin
mesh_terms: D048248:Acanthamoeba castellanii / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D000563:Amebicides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D032443:Peganum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000563:Amebicides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D000432:Methanol