INHIBITION OF GRANULOMA INDUCED BY GRANULOCYTES ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS CO-INFECTED WITH SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI AND HEPATITIS C VIRUS: ROLE OF THE MORINGA OLEIFERA AQUEOUS EXTRACT

The current study reported the potential activity of the aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaves in reducing granulomatosis induced by Schistosoma soluble egg antigen (SEA). Twenty-five healthy individuals and fifty Schistosoma mansoni/ hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infected patients were enrolled in the current study. The granulocytes were isolated and used to induce in vitro granuloma using SEA-conjugated polyacrylamide beads in the presence of interleukin (IL)-17 (125 pg/mL). After 3 days, the granuloma was treated with the aqueous extract of Moringa leaves (0.1 mg/mL). Praziquantel (PZQ, 0.1 mg/mL) was used as a reference drug. On the 7 th and 14 th days, the granuloma index (G.I) was determined and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, H 2 O 2 , and nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured in the culture supernatant. The microscopic examination showed a significant reduction ( P <0.05) in the granuloma size in response to PZQ or Moringa extract after 7 and 14 days, respectively, in the healthy subjects; the reduction induced by Moringa was significant comparing with PZQ after 14 days. A significant decrease was also recorded in the granulocytes’ mediators as H 2 O 2 (in both healthy subjects and co-infected patients) and NO (in healthy subjects only) in response to Moringa extract comparing with PZQ after 14 days. However, TNF-α showed a significant increase (only after 14 days) in the granuloma treated with PZQ or Moringa extract compared with the untreated granuloma of healthy individuals. In conclusion, the Moringa extract showed a higher protective activity than PZQ in reducing granuloma, possibly due to affecting the production of granulocytes’ mediators.