International Journal of Nanomedicine (Oct 2020)
In vitro Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Blastocystis hominis
Abstract
Mohamed Saad Younis,1 Eman Abd el rahman Abououf,1 Ali El saeed Ali,1 Sara Mohamed Abd elhady,2 Rita Maher Wassef2 1Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt; 2Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Rita Maher WassefMedical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, 30 Street 276 New Maadi, Cairo, EgyptTel +201005782994Fax +20225193381Email [email protected]: This study aims to assess the efficacy of silver nanoparticles (Ag Nps) alone and combined with metronidazole (Ag Nps + MTZ) as potential alternative therapeutic agents for Blastocystis hominis.Methods: The parasites were challenged with Ag Nps, Ag Nps + MTZ and MTZ. To assess the efficacy of drugs, counting of viable parasites was done after 1, 2, and 3 hours of adding the drugs.Results: Blastocystis hominis count was reduced by 20.72%, 28.23%, and 18.92% after one hour of adding Ag Nps, Ag Nps + MTZ, and MTZ, respectively. Cysts count was further reduced by 51.49%, 61.61%, and 40.78% after 2 hours and by 71.69%, 79.67%, and 62.65% after 3 hours of adding the drugs in the same order, respectively.Conclusion: There was a statistically significant difference (P< 0.05) in the in vitro growth inhibition of the parasite over the different time intervals when using the tested drugs against the control drug.Keywords: Blastocystis hominis, eosin brilliant cresyl blue stain, metronidazole, silver nanoparticles
