Background: There is an urgent need for an effective and safer sulfa-free alternative therapeutic agent
considering that trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), the drug of choice for the treatment of
cyclosporiasis, is associated with numerous side effects including bone marrow suppression.
Objective: To evaluate curcumin (CR), and CR nano-emulsion (CR-NE) for their anti-Cyclospora potential
therapeutic effects compared to the standard treatment in both acute and relapse murine models.
Material and Methods: In a case-control study, 54 male Swiss strain Albino mice received 104 sporulated
Cyclospora oocysts via oral gavage. The experimental groups were treated either with CR, CR-NE, or TMPSMX.
Half of the mice from each group were sacrificed on the 14th d post-infection (dpi), while the remaining
mice were left to assess the recurrence of infection on the 30th dpi. Evaluation parameters included stool
oocyst load, oocyst ultrastructural changes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), antioxidant activity,
and histopathological changes.
Results: Compared to TMP-SMX, NE formulation increased CR potential effects. In mice receiving CRNE,
a statistically significant decrease in the oocyst burden, and significant improvement in antioxidant
biomarkers were evident. Moreover, SEM examination revealed deformed oocysts with irregular outer
surfaces, poring, and perforations that were more evident after CR-NE treatment.
Conclusion: It was concluded that CR and CR-NE may be considered novel agents for treating cyclosporiasis
and further studies are needed to investigate the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of CR-NE.