ArticleParasites & vectors2015
Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia): a possible therapeutic candidate against Blastocystis sp.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Systematic Review on Antimicrobial and Antiparasitic Activity ofBioMed research international · 2022Pooled it
- Antiparasitic activity and molecular docking of canthin-6-one derivatives from LED- modulated Eurycoma longifolia roots against Blastocystis ST3 and ST7.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Antiprotozoal Effects ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The Role ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Biologically Active Compounds of Malaysian Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.Progress in the chemistry of organic natural products · 2025Review
- Pre-and post-treatment evaluation of intestinal inflammation inJournal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2021Article
- Comparison of apoptotic responses in Blastocystis sp. upon treatment with Tongkat Ali and Metronidazole.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- In vitro susceptibility of humanSaudi journal of biological sciences · 2021Article
- Effect ofFood & nutrition research · 2021Article
- Anti-inflammatory canthin-6-one alkaloids from the roots of Thailand Eurycoma longifolia Jack.Journal of natural medicines · 2020Article
- Anti-International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Article
- Article
- Blastocystis: how do specific diets and human gut microbiota affect its development and pathogenicity?European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2017Review
- Review on a Traditional Herbal Medicine, Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali): Its Traditional Uses, Chemistry, Evidence-Based Pharmacology and Toxicology.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2016Review
- Review Ergogenic Effect of Long Jack,Pharmacognosy reviewsArticle
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn the local Malaysian context, herbal plants such as Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali), Orthosiphon stamineus (MisaiKucing), Ficus deltoidea (Mas Cotek), Zingiber officinale (Halia Bara) and Barringtonia racemosa (Putat) are known and widely used for its therapeutic properties. The first part of this study aims to screen for the anti-protozoal activity of these herbal plant extracts against Blastocystis sp. isolate subtype (ST) 3. Herbal extract with the highest efficacy was further fractionized into water and ethyl acetate fractions and tested against ST1, ST3 and ST5 Blastocystis sp. isolates. These isolates were also exposed to allopathic drugs, Metronidazole (MTZ), Tinidazole, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMX), Ketoconazole and Nitazoxanide for comparison purpose.
methodsBlastocystis sp. isolates from human-derived stool samples were exposed to herbal extracts and allopathic drugs at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml and 1.0 mg/ml and were incubated at 37 °C. Growth profile studies were carried out. After 72 h of treatment, the viability of Blastocystis sp. as a result of the effects of the drugs and herbal extracts were assessed.
resultsBased on the screening process, amongst all the extracts, Tongkat Ali exhibited the highest anti-protozoal activity at 1.0 mg/ml. Between the water and ethyl acetate fractions of Tongkat Ali, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited a slightly higher percentage of anti-protozoal activity at 1.0 mg/ml across subtypes, ST1 (94.9%), ST3 (95.1%) and ST5 (94.3%). When tested with allopathic drugs, at the same concentration, MTZ exhibited the highest anti-protozoal activity across subtypes, ST1 (95.8%), ST3 (93.4%) and ST5 (90.8%).
conclusionThis study is the first to describe the anti-protozoal properties of Tongkat Ali against Blastocystis sp. isolates. Ethyl acetate fraction of Tongkat Ali demonstrated the highest anti-protozoal activity against Blastocystis sp. isolates and showed a sizeable reduction in the cell count which was comparable with MTZ. Tongkat Ali also demonstrated a more uniformed sensitivity across subtypes in comparison to the allopathic drugs.
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