In-vitro Activity of Ferula gummosa Essential Oil and Its Different Extracts on Trichomonas vaginalis

Introduction: Trichomonas vaginalis infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Moreover, there are reports indicating the increasing rate of refractory trichomoniasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Ferula gummosa on T. vaginalis. To this end, the chemical compositions of Ferula gummosa essential oil were identified in this study.    Materials & Methods: The essential oil, n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extract of F. gummosa were prepared and subjected to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and growth inhibitory percent (GI%) determination against two in vitro axenic cultured T. vaginalis isolates in comparison to metronidazole. Moreover, the chemical compositions of F. gummosa essential oil were identified using gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer. Ethics code: IR.UMSHA.REC.1396.885   Findings: After 24 h incubation, the MIC of n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extract was 125 µg/ml and for that of essential oil was 500 µg/ml. The GI% values were 50% and 70% for the extracts at a concentration of 62.5 µg/ml and the essential oil at a concentration of 250 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, the metronidazole MIC values were 12.5 and 6.2 µg/ml for T. vaginalis isolates. According to the results obtained from the chemical identification of F. gummosa essential oil composition, three main compounds of its essential oil include β-Pinene (28.7%), α-Pinene (10.7%), and β-Eudesmol (6.5%).   Discussion & Conclusions: The results showed that the compounds in the essential oil and extracts of F. gummosa had a significant antitrichomonal activity. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate these compounds and conduct further research on their effects on T. vaginalis parasites.