Bruna Baccega

The increasing resistance of Trichomonas vaginalis to the only approved chemical family of drugs for treatment, the 5-nitroimidazoles, has prompted the exploration of new therapeutic agents against this prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Natural products have emerged as a significant source of novel treatments for trichomoniasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-T. vaginalis activity of citral (3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal), the main constituent of the essential oil of Cymbopogon species, commonly known as lemongrass. Our findings indicate that citral exhibits a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 100 μM, effectively inhibiting the growth of T. vaginalis trophozoites within 12 h of exposure, and a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of approximately 40 μM after 24 h. Furthermore, the evaluation of nitric oxide (NO) levels suggests that citral possesses antioxidant properties. Molecular docking studies reveal a weak interaction with three parasite proteins: thioredoxin reductase (TvTrxR), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (TvPNP), and methionine gamma lyase (TvMGL). The present study highlights the potential of citral as a candidate for the development of no-nitroimidazole drugs, offering new avenues for trichomoniasis treatment and underscoring the importance of further investigation into citral’s mechanism of action.

Objective: This study was done to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of the essential oil (OE-CL) and nanoemulsion (N-CL) of Cymbopogon flexuosus against Trichomonas gallinae. Materials and Methods: In vitro assays were done with 10(6) parasites and OE-CL and N-CL in the concentrations: 110, 220, 330, 440, 550, 660, 770 and 880 mu g/ml and four controls: CN (culture medium and trophozoites), MTZ (trophozoites plus 800 mu g/ml of metronidazole), TW (trophozoites plus vehicles used for solubilization of derivatives (0.01% Tween) and NB (blank nanoemulsion 880 mu g/ml). The in vivo assay was done in 35 quails (Coturnix coturnix) infected experimentally 4x10(4) mg/kg, were divided in seven groups (n=5): A (control-healthy), B (control infected), C (control TW 0.01%), D (NB 0.88 mg/kg), E (drug MTZ 25 mg/kg, F (OE-CL at 0.55 mg/kg) and G (N-CL at 0.44 mg/kg), during 7 consecutive days. Results: The in vitro test showed that the OE-CL (550 mu g/ml) and N-CL (440 mu g/ml) concentrations reduced the trophozoites viability in 100%. In the in vivo test, the treatment with OE-CL was efficient on the 4th treatment day and the N-CL after the 3th day, and the MTZ in the therapeutic concentration was efficient on the 7th day. Conclusion: It can be observed in this study that the lemon grass has natural potential antitrichomonal activity against T. gallinae in vitro and in vivo.