Amoebicidal effect of Allium cepa against Allovahlkampfia spelaea: A keratitis model

Allovahlkampfia spelaea ( A. spelaea ) is a free-living amoeba, proved to cause Acanthamoeba- like keratitis with quite difficult treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the amoebicidal effect of Allium cepa ( A. cepa ) on A. spelaea trophozoites and cysts both in vitro and in vivo using Chinchilla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Saudi pharmaceutical journal Vol. 30; no. 8; pp. 1120 - 1136
Main Authors:	Eldeek, Hanan E.M., Farrag, Haiam Mohamed Mahmoud, Tolba, Mohammed Essa Marghany, El-Deek, Heba E.M., Ali, Marwa Omar, Ibraheim, Zedan Z., Bayoumi, Soad A.L., Hassanin, Ebtisam Shawky Ahmed, Alkhalil, Samia S., Huseein, Enas Abd El Hameed Mahmoud
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier 01-08-2022
Subjects:	Allium cepa Allovahlkampfia Amoeba Keratitis Original
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Allovahlkampfia spelaea ( A. spelaea ) is a free-living amoeba, proved to cause Acanthamoeba- like keratitis with quite difficult treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the amoebicidal effect of Allium cepa ( A. cepa ) on A. spelaea trophozoites and cysts both in vitro and in vivo using Chinchilla rabbits as an experimental model of this type of keratitis. Chemical constituents of the aqueous extract of A. cepa were identified using Liquid Chromatography-mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). In vitro , A. cepa showed a significant inhibitory effect on trophozoites and cysts compared to the reference drug, chlorhexidine (CHX) as well as the non-treated control ( P < 0.05) with statistically different effectiveness in terms of treatment durations and concentrations. No cytotoxic effect of A. cepa on corneal cell line was found even at high concentrations (32 mg/ml) using agar diffusion method. The in vivo results confirmed the efficacy of A. cepa where the extract enhanced keratitis healing with complete resolution of corneal ulcers in 80% of the infected animals by day 14 (post infection)pi compared to 70% recovery with CHX after 20 treatment days. The therapeutic effect was also approved at histological, immune-histochemical, and parasitological levels. Our findings support the potential use of A. cepa as an effective agent against A. spelaea keratitis.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1319-0164 2213-7475
DOI:	10.1016/j.jsps.2022.06.005