Abstract

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasitic flagellated protozoan, is one of the main non-viral sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Treatment options for trichomoniasis are limited to nitroimidazole compounds. However, resistance to these drugs has been reported, which requires the development of new anti-Trichomonas agents that confer suitable efficacy and less toxicity. Methods: In the present work, we assessed the effectiveness of the liposomal system containing essential oils of Bunium persicum and Trachyspermum ammi against T. vaginalis in vitro. The chemical composition of B. persicum and T. ammi were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Liposomal vesicles were prepared with phosphatidylcholine) 70%) and cholesterol)30%) using the thin-film method. The essential oils of B. persicum and T. ammi were loaded into the liposomes using the inactive loading method. Liposomal vesicles were made for two plants separately. Their physicochemical features were tested using Zeta-Sizer, AFM and SEM. The anti-Trichomonas activity was determined after 12 and 24 h of parasite cultures in TYI-S-33 medium. Results: After 12 and 24 h of administration, the IC<inf>50</inf> of the B. persicum essential oil nano-liposomes induced 14.41 μg/mL and 45.19 μg/mL, respectively. The IC<inf>50</inf> of T. ammi essential oil nano-liposomes induced 8.08 μg/mL and 25.81 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: These data suggested that nano-liposomes of the essential oils of B. persicum and T. ammi may be a promising alternative to current treatments for Trichomonas infection.