Effects of Echinacea Purpurea on Cryptosporidiosis in Immunosuppressed Experimentally Infected Mice

Abstract
Background: Cryptosporidium species are worldwide coccidian parasites. They are considered the second cause of diarrhea and death in children after rotavirus. Current treatment options for cryptosporidiosis are limited. There is an urgent need to develop new anti-cryptosporidial agents.
Aim of the Study: To assess the activity of Echinacea purpurea in treatment of experimental cryptosporidiosis in immunosuppressed mice.
Methods: Ninety mice were immunosuppressed using oral dexamethasone and divided into 5 groups. Echinacea was used as 100 mg/kg/day on day 15 post infection for five consecutive days. Stool samples from all survived mice were subjected to modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining. All mice were sacrificed for histopathological examination and immuno-histochemical staining of their ilea sections for IL-17 and Cox-2.
Results: The least mortality rate (0%), the least oocysts shedding (1.10±2.31), the least endogenous developmental stages (3.50±2.24), the most improved pathological changes and the highest cure rate (90%) were observed in mice treated with Echinacea/nitazoxanide combination. Moreover, combi-nation therapy significantly reduced IL-17 and Cox-2 expres-sion in ileum sections compared to the positive control group. Echinacea monotherapy significantly reduced fecal oocyst shedding and ileal endogenous developmental stages with improved pathological changes compared to the positive control group. Echinacea increased the cure rate with no significant difference when compared to nitazoxanide. It significantly decreased IL-17 and Cox-2 in ileum sections compared to the positive control group.
Conclusion: Echinacea purpurea/nitazoxanide combina-tion represents significant advances in treatment of experi-mental cryptosporidiosis infection in immunosuppressed mice.