Infection and Drug Resistance (Dec 2023)
Potential Anti-Toxoplasmosis Efficiency of Phoenix dactylifera Extracts Loaded on Selenium Nanoparticles
Abstract
Majed H Wakid,1,2 Muslimah N Alsulami,3 Mohamed Farid,4 Walaa A El Kholy5 1Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia; 2Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 4Sciences Academy of Experimental Researches, Special Scientific Foundation, Mansoura, Egypt; 5Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Majed H Wakid, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P. O. Box 80324, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia, Tel +9662-6952000 ext. 25264, Email [email protected]: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii that infects humans and many types of mammals and birds.Objective: To investigate the effect of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and Phoenix dactylifera (Pd) extracts loaded on SeNPs as a new agent to combat chronic T. gondii infections in murine model as an alternative method to standard Spiramycin drug therapy.Methods: A total of 64 female mice were randomly divided into eight groups: GI: Normal control, GII: Positive control, GIII: infected and treated with Spiramycin, GIV: infected and treated with SeNPs, GV: infected and treated with aqueous extract of Pd, GVI: infected and treated with methanolic extract of Pd, GVII: infected and treated with aqueous extract of Pd loaded on SeNPs, GVIII: infected and treated with methanolic extract of Pd loaded on SeNPs. Date palm (P. dactylifera) fruits were identified and collected from the farms of Saudi Arabia. Preparation and characterization of SeNPs were done. The parasitological, histopathological examinations and biochemical changes were evaluated in all groups.Results: Parasitological results showed significant differences in GVII in comparison to GII while GVIII showed significant differences in comparison to GII and GIII. The histopathological section of the cerebral cortex showed obvious alterations in the infected compared with untreated control groups. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of P. dactylifera loaded on SeNPs treatment showed improvement that indicated by few perivascular cuffing with few inflammatory cell infiltrations. Few granule cells with mild intracellular vacuolation and edema few deformed neurons with deep pyknotic nuclei. Microglia cells expression of Iba-1 and inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10 and INF-γ) in serum of all groups was higher in GII and lowest in GVIII followed by GVII.Conclusion: SeNPs and P. dactylifera extracts loaded on SeNPs could be a potent agent to combat T. gondii infections.Plain Language Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite, causing toxoplasmosis, has a sexual life cycle, which takes place in the small intestine of cats, and an asexual cycle that takes place in warmed animals and humans. It is a neurotropic obligate intracellular parasite. The pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine are the preferred treatment for toxoplasmosis. Recent studies have indicated adverse side effects such as osteoporosis and teratogenic effects, mostly in immunocompromised individuals. The authors hypothesized there is an urgent need to discover new natural products or biosynthetic agents with fewer side effects and higher efficacy. Dates are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, fatty acids, and amino acids and play a key role in the neutralization of free radicals, which inhibits the onset and progression of several disorders. As selenium is essential for both innate and adaptive immune responses against bacterial and parasite infections. Moreover, nanoparticles have a large surface-volume ratio and numerous biological benefits such as their convenient entry into the cell compared to other particles. So, the authors reported that selenium nanoparticles and palm dates extracts loaded on them could be a potent agent to combat Toxoplasma infections and verifications were performed in the study.Keywords: Phoenix dactylifera, selenium, nanoparticles, Toxoplasma gondii, spiramycin
