the effects of lycopene against experimental giardiasis in mice

Giardia duodenalis is a protozoan parasite infecting approximately one billion people worldwide. in this study, the effects of lycopene on experimental giardiasis in mice were investigated by evaluating cyst shedding rate, weight changes, duodenal antioxidant status, and histopathological changes. ninety-five male mice were allocated into six groups of 15 and one group of 5 as the negative control. all mice were infected with 2×105 giardia duodenalis cysts except for the negative control. the treatment groups were treated with metronidazole, mixed lycopene-metronidazole, and 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg lycopene for 7 days. no cyst shedding was observed in mice treated with lycopene 20 and mixed lycopene-metronidazole from the 7th day of treatment. the mildest lesions were seen in the mixed lycopene-metronidazole group. results revealed that treatment with mixed lycopene-metronidazole significantly increased tac and decreased mda levels compared to the positive control. it seems that the antigiardial effect of lycopene is associated with its antioxidant properties. nevertheless, the direct effect of lycopene on giardia, and its probable mechanism remain to be investigated