In vitro ovicidal and larvicidal activity of Carica papaya seed hexane extract against Strongyloides venezuelensis

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Eduardo Ramos Martins Cabral, Dayane Moraes, Marcelo Arantes Levenhagen, Ricardo Alexandre Figueiredo de Matos, Julia Maria Costa-Cruz, Rosângela Maria Rodrigues
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2019
• Subjects: Carica papaya; Seed extract; Egg hatching test; Larval motility test; Anthelmintic activity; Strongyloidiasis; Strongyloides stercoralis; Strongyloides venezuelensis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-9946201961059; https://doaj.org/article/22fcd2f42abe45a7a0b71f7fac6e1427

ABSTRACT Strongyloidiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by the helminth Strongyloides stercoralis whose treatment is particularly difficult in immunosuppressed patients due to their low responsiveness to conventional therapy. Carica papaya and its isolated compounds benzyl isothiocyanate, carpaine and carpasemine are promising compound for the treatment of Strongyloides infections due to their anthelmintic action. This study aims to examine the in vitro ovicidal and larvicidal activity of C. papaya seed hexane extract against Strongyloides venezuelensis, using egg hatching tests and larval motility tests as efficiency markers. The crude extract at the concentrations of 566 – 0.0566 mg/mL or the control with albendazole (0.025 mg/mL) and negative controls (water and PBS) were incubated with an equal volume of egg suspension (± 50 specimens) followed by counting of the specimens after 48 h. The same extract and dilutions were added to L3 larvae suspensions (±50 specimens) followed by analysis of larvae viability after 24, 48, and 72 h. The extract inhibited egg hatching with high efficiency at concentrations of 56.6 mg/mL (95.74%) and 5.66 mg/mL (92.16%). At the concentrations of 566 mg/mL (100%) and 56.66 mg/mL (97.32%), the extract inhibited larval motility as effectively as ivermectin (0.316 mg/mL; 100%), and more effectively than the other dilutions and the negative controls. The larvicidal effect depended on the extract concentration, but not on the treatment period. Therefore, C. papaya seed hexane extract has anthelmintic potential against S. venezuelensis and is a promising compound for the development of phytotherapies to treat strongyloidiasis.