Therapeutic impact of Citrus paradisi peel extract on muscular trichinellosis: An in vivo study

Theodor Bilharz Research Institute

Bibliographic Information

Authors: Ibrahim B.; El-Wakil E.S.; Esmat M.; Elghareeb A.; Ghareeb M.; Assem M.; Kamel N.

Journal: Journal of Helminthology

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Publication Date: 4 July 2025

Volume / Issue: Volume 99

Article No.: e67

ISSN: 0022149X

DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X25100424

Scopus: View on Scopus

PubMed: 40611734

Document Type: Article


Authors and Affiliations

Ibrahim B., Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th October City, 12566, Egypt; El-Wakil E.S., Department of Parasitology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Kornaish El Nile, Warrak El-Hadar, Imbaba (P.O. 30), Giza, 12411, Egypt; Esmat M., Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th October City, 12566, Egypt; Elghareeb A., Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt, Department of Parasitology, Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Egypt; Ghareeb M., Medicinal Chemistry Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute Kornaish El Nile, Warrak El-Hadar, Imbaba (P.O. 30), Giza, 12411, Egypt; Assem M., Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; Kamel N., Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt


Abstract

Trichinellosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by a nematode parasite of the Trichinella (T.) genus. It poses significant public health issues due to limited effective and safe treatment options, especially for the muscle-encysted larval stage. Citrus paradisi (C. paradisi), with its high content of flavonoids and polyphenols, has been recorded to possess anti-parasitic properties and numerous therapeutic applications. The present work aimed to assess the efficacy of C. paradisi extract peel extract as a therapeutic agent, either alone or combined with albendazole (ABZ), against T. spiralis in experimentally infected mice. Sixty-six lab-bred Swiss albino mice were divided into control and treatment groups, then received either ABZ, C. paradisi extract, or a combination of both during the enteral, migratory, and encapsulation phases of infection. Parasitological, histopathological, and immunohistochemical examinations were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the treatments. All treated groups displayed a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) in larval counts compared to the positive control group, with the combination therapy group having the highest efficacy and the lowest mean count value during different treatment regimens. In addition, treated groups showed improved muscle integrity compared to the positive control group. Moreover, the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) showed the highest expression reduction in the combination therapy group. These findings highlight the potential of C. paradisi as a complementary therapy to albendazole for treating trichinellosis through muscle larva reduction and mitigation of inflammation. © The Author(s), 2025.


Keywords

albendazole; Citrus paradisi; good health and well-being; mice; Trichinella spiralis; Animals; Anthelmintics; Citrus; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Larva; Male; Muscles; Plant Extracts; Trichinellosis; caffeic acid; catechin; chlorogenic acid; cinnamic acid; coumaric acid; daidzein; ellagic acid; ferulic acid; gallic acid; gallic acid methyl ester; grapefruit extract; hesperetin; immunoglobulin enhancer binding protein; immunoglobulin kappa chain; kaempferol; naringenin; phenolic glycolipid; quercetin; rosmarinic acid; rutoside; syringic acid; transcription factor RelA; anthelmintic agent; plant extract; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; Article; cell infiltration; controlled study; encapsulation; fruit peel; grapefruit; high performance liquid chromatography; histopathology; immunohistochemistry; in vivo study; inflammatory cell; mouse; muscle cell; muscle infection; nonhuman; optical density; protein expression; skeletal muscle; trichinosis; animal; chemistry; disease model; drug effect; drug therapy; muscle; parasitology


Citation Information

Scopus Citations: 3


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