Efficacy of silver nanoparticles against Trichinella spiralis in mice and the role of multivitamin in alleviating its toxicity

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a worldwide zoonotic disease. The majority of currently available anti-trichinellosis medications exhibit inadequate efficacy. The efficacy of a natively prepared new formulation of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) was evaluated in the treatment of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) infection in mice alone and combined with multivitamin-mineral (MM). After investigating the product's biological and pharmacological characteristics, its therapeutic dose was estimated to be Ag-NPs at 21.5 mg/kg B.W. This dose was orally inoculated to experimentally infected mice at 3-5 days post-inoculation (dpi) against the mature worms, at 8-10 dpi against the newborn larvae, and at 33-35th dpi against the encapsulated larvae. Each treatment's efficacy was assessed by scarifying control and treated mice 3 days post-treatment. The drug alone or in supplement form has a high trichinocidal effect exceeding that of the reference drug. Early treatment (3-5 dpi) by Ag-NPs or Ag-NPs + MM and albendazole revealed high efficacy against the intestinal stage, reaching 93.3%, 94.7%, and 90.6% for the three treatments, respectively. The materials causing a significant (P-value < 0.001) decrease in the mean encapsulated larvae reached 86.61%, 89.07%, and 88.84%/gm of muscles using the three treatments, respectively. Moreover, all larvae extracted from Ag-NPs-treated groups failed to induce infection post-inoculation in new mice. Additionally, combining the material with MM proved to overcome the reversible adverse effects of silver material on the estimated redox parameters and liver and kidney biomarkers, denoting its ability to alleviate Ag-NP toxicity. In conclusion, the high trichinocidal effect of Ag-NPs against the adult and encapsulated larvae during a short inoculation period introduced Ag-NPs as an alternative to other nematicidal drugs.

Keywords: Trichinella spiralis; Multivitamin; Silver nanoparticles; Toxicity.

Figure 1

(A) Early migrating larvae of T. spiralis in the muscles of pretreated mice at 8th dpi, showing the early incomplete reaction around the larvae. (B) large cyst area with thin tissue reaction around the larvae (trichinoscope compressed). (C) More developed cysts with marked tissue reactions in the experimentally infected mice at 33 dpi. D. T. spiralis cysts in the muscles of pigs were used in experimental infection of different mouse groups.

Figure 2

(A) and (B) Trichinella spiralis worms that were detected in the intestines of mice at time of first treatment (3rd dpi); (C) and (D) old adult worms that were detected in the intestines of untreated mice at 8th dpi. The figure shows the variation in size and degree of development.