Anti-giardial activity of Sambucus ebulus.

OBJECTIVES Giardia (G.) lamblia is a parasite that causes giardiasis in humans and other mammals. The common treatment produces unpleasant side effects. The ethnopharmacology for management of parasitic infections accelerates and guides the search for new chemical objects. This study assessed the in vitro cytotoxicity of Sambucus (S.) ebulus fruit against Cysts of G. lamblia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Giardia cysts were isolated from patients' fecal specimens; the cysts were isolated by sucrose 0.85 M solution. The plant extract was used at concentrations of 1, 10, 50 and 100 mg/mL throughout the experiments. The extracts were incubated with several isolates of G. lamblia for 5, 10, 30 and 60 minutes and then the viability were distinguished by eosin 0.01%. RESULTS S. ebulus extract at the concentration of 100 mg/ml for 60 minutes had the most anti-giardial activity (78 ± 4%) than other concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Considering excellent antigiardial activity of S. ebulus in vitro, it seems to have potential for the treatment of the parasitic disease caused by the protozoan G. lamblia.