Ragaa M. Issa.
Schistosoma mansoni: The prophylactic and curative effects of propolis in experimentally infected mice.
Rawal Med J Jan ;32(2):94-8.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of propolis, a natural bee product on lung and liver schistosomules as well on adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni in immunosuppressed mice. Meterials and Methods: All groups were infected with 100±10 S. mansoni cercariae/mouse injected subcutaneously. Immunosuppression was induced by hydrocortisone hemisuccinate at a dose of 25 mg/kg b.w. intramusculary twice weekly for 8 weeks, starting 10 days before infection. Propolis was administered orally at a dose of 250 mg/kg/day, starting 5 days before infection and continued up to 45 days post-infection, to cover all stages of S. mansoni infection. Praziquantel (PZQ) was administered orally at a dose of 500 mg/kg/day, on the 5th and 6th and 45th and 46th days post-infection. Results: The number of lung schistosomules showed a significant reduction of 59.22% with propolis and 98.89% with PZQ. The administration of propolis caused a marked reduction of egg counts in stool (61.8%) and tissues (49.9% and 45.8%). Propolis produced a significant reduction of 58.38% in adult worms. PZQ produced a reduction of 83.65% in adult worms and 98.38% in stool egg counts and (91.99% and 89.22% ) reductions in liver and intestine egg counts respectively. Conclusions: The effect of propolis when compared to PZQ is promising in immunosuppressed S. mansoni infected mice. (Rawal Med J 2007;32:94-98)

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