Skip to main content
Log in

In vitro effects of aqueous extracts of Astragalus membranaceus and Scutellaria baicalensis GEORGI on Toxoplasma gondii

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that infects animals and humans worldwide. The standard treatment for toxoplasmosis is limiting due to toxic adverse effects, thus there is a need to identify new drugs that are less toxic. Both Astragalus membranaceus and Scutellaria baicalensis GEORGI are popular traditional Chinese herbs widely used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases in Asia, and we have previously demonstrated that water extracts of A. membranaceus (AmE) and S. baicalensis GEORGI (SbE) have good efficacy in controlling T. gondii replication in mouse models. This study was designed to further evaluate their effects against developing tachyzoites of the RH strain of T. gondii in HeLa cell cultures. AmE, SbE, and TMP–SMX (trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole) were added into the wells containing both HeLa cells and replicating T. gondii of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing RH tachyzoites. The proliferation and morphous of the tachyzoites were observed, the fluorescence intensity expressed as the fluorescence gray scale value was measured, and the living tachyzoites were counted at different culture times after treatment. The results showed that, compared to untreated controls, parasites treated with either AmE or SbE had significantly decreased intracellular replication at 72, 96, and 120 h after treatment (P < 0.01); while compared to either AmE- or SbE-treated groups, SMX-treated groups had even significantly decreased replication (only a few living parasites were detected) at the above times (P < 0.01). Our data demonstrated that both AmE and SbE had remarkable in vitro activities against T. gondii.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Auyeung KK, Cho CH, Ko JK (2009) A novel anticancer effect of Astragalus saponins: Transcriptional activation of NSAID-activated gene. Int J Cancer 125:1082–1091

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Błach-Olszewska Z, Jatczak B, Rak A, Lorenc M, Gulanowski B, Drobna A, Lamer-Zarawska E (2008) Production of cytokines and stimulation of resistance to viral infection in human leukocytes by Scutellaria baicalensis flavones. J Interferon Cytokine Res 28:571–581

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cho WC, Leung KN (2007) In vitro and in vivo immunomodulating and immunorestorative effects of Astragalus membranaceus. J Ethnopharmacol 113:132–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh CJ, Hall K, Ha T, Li C, Krishnaswamy G, Chi DS (2007) Baicalein inhibits IL-1beta- and TNF-alpha-induced inflammatory cytokine production from human mast cells via regulation of the NF-kappaB pathway. Clin Mol Allergy 5:5

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Innes EA, Vermeulen AN (2006) Vaccination as a control strategy against the coccidial parasites Eimeria, Toxoplasma and Neospora. Parasitology 133:S145–S168

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jost C, Reiter-Owona I, Liesenfeld O (2007) The timing of sulfadiazine therapy impacts the reactivation of latent Toxoplasma infection in IRF-8−/− mice. Parasitol Res 101(6):1603–1609

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kongsaengdao S, Samintarapanya K, Oranratnachai K, Prapakarn W, Apichartpiyakul C (2008) Randomized controlled trial of pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine versus trimethoprim plus sulfamethoxazole for treatment of toxoplasmic encephalitis in AIDS patients. J Int Assoc Physicians AIDS Care (Chic) 7:11–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee YF, Chen SJ, Chung YM, Liu JH, Wong WW (2000) Diffuse toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis as the initial manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. J Formos Med Assoc 99:219–223

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee YS, Han OK, Park CW, Suh SI, Shin SW, Yang CH, Jeon TW, Lee ES, Kim KJ, Kim SH, Yoo WK, Kim HJ (2003) Immunomodulatory effects of aqueous-extracted Astragali radix in methotrexate-treated mouse spleen cells. J Ethnopharmacol 84:193–198

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin CC, Shieh DE (1996) The anti-inflammatory activity of Scutellaria rivularis extracts and its active components, baicalin, baicalein and wogonin. Am J Chin Med 24:31–36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li-Weber M (2009) New therapeutic aspects of flavones: the anticancer properties of Scutellaria and its main active constituents Wogonin, Baicalein and Baicalin. Cancer Treat Rev 35:57–68

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma XQ, Shi Q, Duan JA, Dong TT, Tsim KW (2002) Chemical analysis of Radix Astragali (Huangqi) in China: a comparison with its adulterants and seasonal variations. J Agric Food Chem 50:4861–4866

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mckenna DJ, Hughes K, Jones K (2002) Astragalus. Altern Ther Health Med 8:34–40

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Norose K, Aosai F, Mun HS, Yano A (2006) Effects of sulfamethoxazole on murine ocular toxoplasmosis in interferon-gamma knockout mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47:265–271

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramos JM, Milla A, Rodríguez JC, Padilla S, Masiá M, Gutiérrez F (2011) Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among immigrant and native pregnant women in Eastern Spain. Parasitol Res 109(5):1447–1452

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryu M, Kim EH, Chun M, Kang S, Shim B, Yu YB, Jeong G, Lee JS (2008) Astragali Radix elicits anti-inflammation via activation of MKP-1, concomitant with attenuation of p38 and Erk. J Ethnopharmacol 115:184–193

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song HO, Ahn MH, Ryu JS, Min DY, Joo KH, Lee YH (2004) Influence of calcium ion on host cell invasion and intracellular replication by Toxoplasma gondii. Korean J Parasitol 42:185–193

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki K, Masuya M, Matsumoto T, Ito N, Ohishi K, Maeda M, Katayama N (2010) High-intensity signals in the basal ganglia from gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI as an early change in toxoplasma encephalitis in an AIDS patient. J Infect Chemother 16:135–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tan BK, Vanitha J (2004) Immunomodulatory and antimicrobial effects of some traditional Chinese medicinal herbs: a review. Curr Med Chem 11:1423–1430

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu HD, You CG, Zhang RL, Gao P, Wang ZR (2007) Effects of Astragalus polysaccharides and astragalosides on the phagocytosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by macrophages. J Int Med Res 35:84–90

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yabu Y, Nose M, Koide T, Ohta N, Ogihara Y (1998) Antitrypanosomal effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicines on bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in vitro. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health 29:599–604

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang ZC, Wang BC, Yang XS, Wang Q, Ran L (2005) The synergistic activity of antibiotics combined with eight traditional Chinese medicines against two different strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Colloids and Surf B Biointerfaces 41:79–81

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang X, Huang S, Chen J, Song N, Wang L, Zhang Z, Deng G, Zheng H, Zhu XQ, Lu F (2010) Evaluation of the adjuvant properties of Astragalus membranaceus and Scutellaria baicalensis GEORGI in the immune protection induced by UV-attenuated Toxoplasma gondii in mouse models. Vaccine 28:737–743

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported, in part, by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2010CB530001), the Natural Science Foundation of China to F.L. (No. 81071387), and the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China to F.L. (No. 10151008901000006).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fangli Lu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, X., Huang, B., Chen, J. et al. In vitro effects of aqueous extracts of Astragalus membranaceus and Scutellaria baicalensis GEORGI on Toxoplasma gondii . Parasitol Res 110, 2221–2227 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2752-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2752-2

Keywords

Navigation