Background: Currently, there is no effective adjunct to therapeutic drugs against acute toxoplasmosis.
Curcumin (CUR) is one of the most promising naturally occurring agents with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
and anti-carcinogenic activity. It is hypothesized that improvement of CUR properties utilizing
nanotechnology may be beneficial in enhancing its therapeutic effects.
Objective: To evaluate the prophylactic immunostimulatory and therapeutic effects of CUR nanoemulsion
in acute toxoplasmosis in experimentally infected mice.
Material and Methods: A case-control experimental study was conducted including 45 Albino mice. Mice
were divided into a control negative uninfected group I (5 mice) and experimental group II (40 mice)
infected with the virulent RH strain to simulate acute toxoplasmosis. Group II was subdivided into four
subgroups (10 mice each); IIa (control positive, infected non-treated), IIb (infected and prophylactically
pre-treated with CUR nanoemulsion), IIc (post-infection treated with CUR nanoemulsion), and IId (postinfection
treated with Spiramycin). The assessment parameters included estimation of the mortality
rate, and parasite burden in impression smears from peritoneal fluids, livers, and spleens. Alterations
in the tachyzoites morphological features among study groups were recorded using scanning electron
microscopy (SEM).
Results: The mortality rate was relatively high (40%) by the 6th day in the infected non-treated
subgroup (IIa); with no mortality recorded in all treated experimental subgroups. The prophylactic CUR
nanoemulsion pre-treated subgroup (IIb) had the highest percentage of tachyzoites reduction in the
peritoneal fluids (78.13%), and in the livers and spleens impression smears (both 88.89%). In the two
treated subgroups (IIc and IId), the recorded reduction percentages were 71.88%, 75%, respectively
for peritoneal fluids; 81.48% for livers in both subgroups; and 85.42%, 84.73%, respectively for spleen
impression smears. Examination of the peritoneal exudates using SEM showed deformed tachyzoites in
all the treated subgroups.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that CUR nanoemulsion is as effective as Spiramycin and has a promising
medicinal effect on acute toxoplasmosis. Therefore, it may be used as an adjuvant to specific treatment
with Spiramycin.