The Protective Effect of Ethanolic Extract against Infection in Immunosuppressed Mice.

Background: A specific treatment has not yet developed for cryptosporidiosis, and some of the used drugs had side effects in immunodeficient patients. The goal of an appropriate remedy is to remove symptoms and improve immune responses in hosts. The current study was designed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of ethanolic extract in experimentally infected immunosuppressed mice.

Methods: Thirty six NMRI mice, 4-6 wk old, were randomly divided into six equal groups. C1: uninfected, treated control; C2: infected, untreated control; T1, T2, T3, and P: infected, treated with 0.2, 2, and 20 mg/ml extract, and 5mg/ml paromomycin, respectively. Mice were experimentally infected by oral administration of 10 oocysts/animal of and treated orally for eight days per 12h, starting 12h before experimental infection. The presence of oocyst shedding, weight gain/loss, and the histopathology of ileum sections were examined.

Results: Results revealed that oocyst shedding was significantly (<0.05) reduced in treatment groups. There was no significant difference between the mean of weight gain/loss in the infected control and treated groups. Histopathological analysis of ileum sections further supported the parasitological findings.

Conclusion: had acceptable efficacy as a therapeutic agent for cryptosporidiosis.