The effect of essential oils from Thymus broussonetii Boiss on transmission of Toxoplasma gondii cysts in mice

Parasitol Res. 2010 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]

The effect of essential oils from Thymus broussonetii Boiss on transmission of Toxoplasma gondii cysts in mice

Dahbi A, Bellete B, Flori P, Hssaine A, Elhachimi Y, Raberin H, Chait A, Tran Manh Sung R, Hafid J.

Equipe d'Immuno-Parasitologie et Physiologie, Laboratoire Aliments, Environnement et Santé, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Bd. A. El Khattabi, B.P. 549, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco.

In this study, we have evaluated the effect of essential oils of Thymus broussonetii Boiss, an endemic plant of Morocco in experimental transmission of Toxoplasma gondii cysts in mice. These oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and were administered to mice at 20 microg/animal orally at the time of infection and for several days thereafter. This resulted in total absence of intracerebral cysts in mice who received the essential oils signifying that these essential oils of thyme have a blocking effect on the appearance of the cysts. In addition, no abnormality was observed in the control mice who received the essential oils of thyme.

PMID: 20336317 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]