VERIFYING THERAPEUTIC POTENCY OF SHILAJIT AGAINST CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

MOHAMED, SHAIMAA S.; SABRY, HODA Y.; AMER, NEIMAT M.; MAHMOUD, SOHEIR S.; EL KOMI, WAFAA; SELIM, EMAN H.; ABOUSHOUSHA, TAREK; ATTA, SHIMAA A.; SALEH, FATMA EL-ZAHRAA R.; EL-WAKIL, EMAN S.

doi:10.21608/jesp.2024.397260

VERIFYING THERAPEUTIC POTENCY OF SHILAJIT AGAINST CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Parasitology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Kornaish El-Nile St., 12411, Giza, Egypt

² Department of Pathology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Kornaish El-Nile St., 12411, Giza, Egypt

³ Department of Immu nology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Kornaish El-Nile St., 12411, Giza, Egypt

⁴ Department of Water Pollution Research, Environmental and Climate Change Institute, National Research Centre (NRC), Egypt

10.21608/jesp.2024.397260

Abstract

In immunocompromised hosts, diarrheal disease is primarily caused by Cryptosporidium spp.
infect-ion. Up- to-date, there is neither vaccine nor safe or efficient treatment. Shilajit is one the
medicinal plants. This study evaluated Shilajit anti-cryptosporidiosis alone or with Nitazoxanide®
(NTZ) in immunocompromised Albino mice. The study comprised fifty mice divided into five gr
oups of ten mice each. The oocysts shedding were assessed parasitologically by stained fecal
smears, histologically in liver and small intestine, and immunologically by evaluation of IFN-γ
and IL-10 levels.
The results showed that shilajit improved the liver and small intestine significantly by oocysts
reduction in feces and small intestine. Mice treated with both shilajit and NTZ showed the best
improvement. IFN-γ increased and IL-10 decreased (P< 0.001) in all treated mice.

Keywords