In vitro anthelmintic effect of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles on liver amphistome, Gigantocotyle explanatum

Abstract In order to ensure global food security a rationale approach is required to control all those factors which directly or indirectly affect the food productivity. The neglected helminthic diseases alone are responsible for huge economic losses to the agrarian stakeholders. The problem is further compounded by the emerging drug resistance in flukes against the commonly used anthelmintics like triclabendazole. Therefore, the search for alternatives including the nano-based approaches has become a necessity to develop future control strategies. In the present study the effect of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was investigated on an economically important amphistome parasite, Gigantocotyle explanatum, obtained from the infected liver of the Indian water buffaloes, Bubalus bubalis . In vitro treatment of the adult worms with different doses of AgNPs severely affected the worm motility and caused ROS mediated damages in the treated flukes. The antioxidant system and the detoxification ability of the worms appeared to be disrupted along with pronounced DNA damage in the treated worms as compared to the controls. Following the treatment of worms with different concentrations of AgNPs there was a significant (p  in vivo .