Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris) extract
against Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in experimentally infected mice.
Methods: Sixty mice were divided into six groups (Group I–Group VI). Group I was
normal control (non-infected, non-treated); Group II was non-infected and treated with T.
vulgaris extract (500 mg/kg); Group III was T. gondii infected-non-immunosuppressed
control; Group IV consisted of infected immunosuppressed mice; Group V was infected
and treated with T. vulgaris extract; Group VI consisted of infected immunosuppressed
mice treated with T. vulgaris extract. Hepatoprotective effect of T. vulgaris extract was
evaluated by histopathological examination of tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and
eosin, determination of liver function parameters (alanine aminotransaminase, aspartate
aminotransaminase and alkaline phosphates, total bilirubin, total protein concentrations) and
assessment of hepatocytes genotoxicity by comet assay.Antigenotoxic effect of T. vulgaris was
assessed by several comet assay parameters that were provided by the image analysis software,
including % tailed cells, % of DNA in the tail, tail length, and tail moment.
Results: Treatment with T. vulgaris in both Groups V and VI improved T. gondii induced
pathological lesions in the infected liver that regressed to near the normal picture especially
in Group V. Also, it restored the altered values of liver function parameters near to the normal
levels significantly (P < 0.05) compared with Groups III and IV respectively. Regarding comet
assay parameters, all of them were significantly increased (P < 0.05) after T. gondii infection
(Group III) and reached the greatest values in infected immunosuppressed group (Group IV)
compared to the normal controls (Group I). With treatment by T. vulgaris in Groups V and
VI, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in all values compared to Groups III and V
respectively. The results indicated that T. vulgaris reduced DNA damage induced by T. gondii
infection in liver cells.
Conclusions: T. vulgaris ethanol extract exhibited notable hepatoprotective activity against T.
gondii infection.
ا.د. نجوى مصطفى السيد | Nagwa Mostafa El-Sayed | 3521