Background
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by an opportunistic protozoan parasite . It may be life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals, children and the elderly. To date, no specific therapy has been proven to be effective against , which necessitates exploring for new therapeutics. This study evaluated the anti- therapeutic potential of two natural medicinal plants − (olive leaf extract) and (kiwi fruit pulp extract) − in four different groups of experimentally infected neonatal mice.
Materials and methods
Anti- efficacies of tested extracts were evaluated in four groups of age-matched neonatal Swiss albino mice parasitologically by detection of oocysts and copro-DNA, using microscopy and nested PCR assay, as well as histopathological examination of their small intestines.
Results and conclusion
There was a 100% reduction in oocyst excretion in stool and copro-DNA of -treated infected mice after 2 weeks of drug administration, whereas there was persistence of oocysts in the stool of -treated mice until scarification. Obtained results make a promising natural therapeutic for cryptosporidiosis, a scientific case that calls for further clinical trials to replicate this model in human individuals.