Evaluation the effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Myrtus communis L. on tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii in vitro

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonotic infections worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate anti-Toxoplasma gondii activities of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Myrtus communis L. in vitro. In this study, effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of M. communis on T. gondii-infected mouse macrophages were evaluated by MTT and direct method. The results showed that the aqueous extract of M. communis with concentrations of 12.5 and 25 µg/ml had the highest anti-T. gondii activity (87 and 81%), while their lethal effect on non-infected macrophage was less than other concentrations. The present study showed that the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of M. communis have a considerable inhibitory effect on Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and parasite intracellular proliferation in vitro.