In Vivo Antischistosomicidal and Immunomodulatory Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Taraxacum officinale

Abstract

Bilharziasis is a widespread trematode parasite that poses a severe public health burden. Dandelion (<i>Taraxacum officinale</i>) has several pharmacological and traditional properties critical for treating several hepatic disorders. The present study was designed to assess the potential efficacy of <i>T. officinale</i> root (TOR) dietary supplementation with or without praziquantel (PZQ) against liver and intestinal disorders in mice infected with <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i>. This study was conducted on five groups; G1: uninfected control, G2: untreated <i>S. mansoni</i>-infected mice, G3: infected animals treated with 250 mg/kg PZQ for three alternative days, G4: infected animals were orally administered 600 mg/kg bw TOR daily for 10 days, and G5: infected animals that received both PZQ and TOR as previously described. The current findings after different treatments indicated topographical scanning electron microscopy alterations of male adult worms and a critical reduction in worm burden, ova count, granuloma diameter, hepatic and intestinal histological abnormalities, fibrosis, immunohistochemical expression of CD3⁺ and CD20⁺ cells, oxidative stress, and interleukin-10, also upregulation of interferon-gamma, and antioxidant enzymes, when compared to the infected untreated mice. The best results were obtained in mice administered PZQ+TOR together because of their antioxidant properties and ability to promote the host immune response to parasitic infection.