English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background  Drugs currently used for controlling onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are mainly microfilaricidal, with minimal or no effect on the adult worms. For efficient management of these diseases, it is necessary to search for new drugs with macrofilaricidal activities that can be used singly or in combination with existing ones.  Daniellia oliveri  and  Psorospermum febrifugum  are two plants commonly used in the local management of these infections in Bambui, a township in the North West Region of Cameroon, but there is currently no documented scientific evidence to support their claimed anthelmintic efficacy and safety. The aim of this study was to provide evidence in support of the search for means to eliminate these diseases by screening extracts and chromatographic fractions isolated from these plants for efficacy against the parasitic roundworms  Onchocerca ochengi  and  Brugia pahangi.Methods  The viability of  O. ochengi  adult worms was assessed using the MTT/formazan assay. Fully confluent monkey kidney epithelial cells (LLC-MK2) served as the feeder layer for the  O. ochengi  microfilariae (mfs) assays. Viability of the mfs was assessed by microscopic examination for mean motility scoring (relative to the negative control) every 24 h post addition of an extract. The Worminator system was used to test the effects of the extracts on adult  B. pahangi  motility, and mean motility units were determined for each worm. Cytotoxicity of the active extracts on N27 cells was assessed using the MTS assay.    Results  Extracts from  D. oliveri  and  P. febrifugum  were effective against the adult roundworms  O. ochengi  and  B. pahangi . Interestingly, extracts showing macrofilaricidal activities against  O. ochengi  also showed activity against  O. ochengi  mfs. The hexane stem bark extract of  D. oliveri  (DO BHEX ) was more selective for adult  O. ochengi  than for mfs, with a half maximal and 100% inhibitory concentration (IC 50  and IC 100 , respectively) against adult  O. ochengi  of 13.9 and 31.3 μg/ml, respectively. The  in vitro  cytotoxicity of all active extracts on N27 cells showed selective toxicity for parasites (selectivity index > 1). Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extracts yielded fractions with activity against adult  B. pahangi , thus confirming the presence of bioactive principles in the plant extracts.    Conclusions  Our study supports the use of  D. oliveri  and  P. febrifugum  in the traditional treatment of onchocerciasis and LF. The further purification of active extracts from these plants could yield lead compounds for filarial drug discovery and development.    Graphic abstractSupplementary Information  The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04759-6.

Filaricidal activity of Daniellia oliveri and Psorospermum febrifugum extracts