Evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of Mentha crispa in the treatment of giardiasis

• Published in: Contemporary clinical trials Vol. 32; no. 6; pp. 809 - 813
• Main Authors: Teles, Naracélia S.B., Fechine, Francisco V., Viana, Fernando André C., Viana, Ismenia O.L., Nascimento, Demétrius F., Leite, Ana Lourdes A.S., Bezerra, Fernando Antônio Frota, Moraes, Manoel Odorico, Moraes, Maria Elisabete A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Animals; Antiprotozoal agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular; Clinical trial; Efficacy; Feces - parasitology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; General aspects; General pharmacology; Giardia lamblia - isolation & purification; Giardiasis; Giardiasis - drug therapy; Giardiasis - parasitology; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Human protozoal diseases; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Mentha; Mentha crispa; Parasitic diseases; Parasitic diseases due to ciliates and flagellates; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Phytotherapy - methods; Plant Preparations - administration & dosage; Plant Preparations - therapeutic use; Protozoal diseases; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Parasitic diseases; Giardiasis; Clinical trial; Efficacy; Mentha crispa; Phytotherapy; Antiprotozoal agents; Protozoal disease; Medicinal plant; Antiprotozoal agent; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Intestinal disease; Mentha; Human; Evaluation; Pharmacognosy; Treatment efficiency; Parasitosis; Infection; Treatment; Labiatae; Plant origin; Digestive diseases; Parasiticide; Herbaceous plant; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 1551-7144; 1559-2030; 1559-2030
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2011.08.005

It's estimated that around 200million people are annually infected with Giardia lamblia, making the disease a major cause of morbidity worldwide. The current treatment of giardiasis includes the use of several drugs, among them, herbal medicines formulated with Mentha crispa. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of M. crispa in the treatment of giardiasis. The research consisted initially of a cross-sectional study for the selection of subjects with giardiasis. After that, there was a randomized, open, in parallel with active control study, in order to verify the therapeutic efficacy of M. crispa in the treatment of giardiasis. Coprology samples were collected from 1622 patients between May 2005 and May 2007 for a series of parasitological examinations. Ninety-six patients with G. lamblia were selected, which were then distributed randomly into two groups: Secnidazole, consisting of 50 patients treated with 2g of Secnidazole and M. crispa, containing 46 patients treated with 2g of M. crispa. After 7days, healing was evaluated by enzyme immunoassay in a fresh fecal sample. Additionally, the subjects were questioned about possible adverse effects and answered a questionnaire covering socioeconomic and hydrosanitary issues. The analysis of the clinical trial data showed that the cure rate for the Secnidazole group (84.0%) was significantly higher (P=0.0002) as that verified in the M. crispa group (47.83%). Therefore, the study concludes that, in the dose used in this trial, the effect of M. crispa in the treatment of giardisis is less effective than that of Secnidazole.