Abstract

Giardiasis is an important common intestinal infection; caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia. Numerous medications are available for the treatment of Giardiasis and can be prescribed by the health care provider. Metronidazole and other chemical drugs are used for Giardiasis. Considering the side effects of these drugs like other chemical agents, this prompted us to analysis an in vitro research into antigiardial effect of Allium paradoxum, which has been used for centuries, as an herbal medicine, without harmful side effects. Giardia cysts were isolated from patients’ fecal specimens obtained at Mazandaran hospitals, the cysts were isolated by sucrose 0.85 M solution from fecal specimens. The plant extracts were used at concentrations of 5, 10, 50 and 100 mg/mL throughout the experiments. The extracts at concentrations that ranged from 5 to 100 mg/mL, were incubated with several isolates of G. lamblia for 1, 5, 30, 60 and 180 min and then the viability were distinguished by eosin 0.01%. A. paradoxum extract at the concentration of 100 mg/ml for 3 h have acceptable antigiardial activity. The antigiardial effect of any concentrations of the chloroformic and hydroalcoholic extract of A. paradoxum was extremely significant as compared to the control groups at all exposure times (p<0.0001). Thus, the results of present study have shown A. paradoxum extracts would be used as alternative treatment for Giardiasis.

Key words: Allium paradoxum, chloroformic extract, Giardia lamblia, hydroalcoholic extract.