Effect of Aqueous Extract of Peganum harmala on Acanthamoeba In Vitro

Many plant extracts have antiparasitic properties and even some of them are effective for in vivo treatment. One of the medicinal plants is Peganum harmala, which can grow from 30 to 100 cm. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of aqueous extract of Peganum harmala on trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba in vitro.
In this experimental study, a sample from a patient with amoebic keratitis, was cultured with Escherichia coli bacterium in non-nutrient agar medium (NNA) 1.5%. Then, the aqueous extract of Peganum harmala was prepared. The extract was affected on trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba at three times (24, 48, and 72h) in various concentrations (1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10mg/ml). The percentage of live parasites, was evaluated using homocytometer lamel, MTT assay [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide], and flow cytometry method. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, one sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and repeated measures test The significance level was considered to be p The extract showed dose- and time-dependent activity on trophozoites and cysts. In the presence of 10 mg/ml aqueous extract in culture medium, 32.47% of the trophozoites and 50.15% of the cysts, were alive after 72 hours.
Our study indicated that the aqueous extract of the Peganum harmala, has anti-Acanthamoeba activity. Therefore, it is recommended that the effect of Peganum harmala extract be studied in animal models.