Nurul Azira Binti Mohd Shah
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
Title: In vitro anti-amoebic potential of medium chain triglycerides compounds
Biography
Biography: Nurul Azira Binti Mohd Shah
Abstract
Background: Amoebiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Entamoeba histolytica that causes death in developing country. The gold standard treatment for amoebiasis is metronidazole. However, the emergence of resistant against metronidazole has been increasingly reported. Thus, it is important to search for other alternative control measure which is safe and effective. Medium chain triglyceride (MCT), an active compound in natural products is widely available as a nutrient supplement and has been shown to have anti-protozoal properties.
Objective: Therefore the objective of this study is to investigate the potential effect of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) against amoebic infections.
Methods: The trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica HM1: IMSS strain were axenically cultivated in TYI-S-33 medium in culture flasks and incubated anaerobically by using Anaerocult A (Merck). The anti-amoebic effect was determined by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of E. histolytica against MCT active compounds which include lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid and caproic acid were based on scoring of trophozoites growth using the standard method.
Results: Lauric acid and capric acid exhibited anti-amoebic effect with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 400 μg per ml and 800 μg per ml respectively.
Conclusion: In conclusion, MCTs was active against E. histolytica in vitro and should be considered as a probable anti-amoebic compound in amoebiasis.