{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T22:11:47Z","timestamp":1785449507426,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,4]],"date-time":"2021-02-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1612396800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Myrtus communis (M. communis) is a wild aromatic plant used for traditional herbal medicine that can be demonstrated in insecticidal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity of its essential oils (MCEO). Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effects of M. communis essential oil (MCEO) against chronic toxoplasmosis induced by the Tehran strain of Toxoplasma gondii in mice. Methods: Gas chromatography\/mass spectrometry (GC\/MS) analysis was performed to determine the chemical composition of MCEO. Mice were then orally administrated with MCEO at the doses of 100, 200, and 300 mg\/kg\/day and also atovaquone 100 mg\/kg for 21 days. On the 15th day, the mice were infected with the intraperitoneal inoculation of 20\u201325 tissue cysts from the Tehran strain of T. gondii. The mean numbers of brain tissue cysts and the mRNA levels of IL-12 and IFN-\u03b3 in mice of each tested group were measured. Results: By GC\/MS, the major constituents were \u03b1-pinene (24.7%), 1,8-cineole (19.6%), and linalool (12.6%), respectively. The results demonstrated that the mean number of T. gondii tissue cysts in experimental groups Ex1 (p &lt; 0.05), Ex2 (p &lt; 0.001) and Ex3 (p &lt; 0.001) was meaningfully reduced in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control group (C2). The mean diameter of tissue cyst was significantly reduced in mice of the experimental groups Ex2 (p &lt; 0.01) and Ex3 (p &lt; 0.001). The results demonstrated that although the mRNA levels of IFN-\u03b3 and IL-12 were elevated in all mice of experimental groups, a significant increase (p &lt; 0.001) was observed in tested groups of Ex2 and Ex3 when compared with control groups. Conclusion: The findings of the present study demonstrated the potent prophylactic effects of MCEO especially in the doses 200 and 300 mg\/kg in mice infected with T. gondii. Although the exceptional anti-Toxoplasma effects of MCEO and other possessions, such as improved innate immunity and low toxicity are positive topics, there is, however, a need for more proof from investigations in this field.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules26040819","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,4]],"date-time":"2021-02-04T12:02:10Z","timestamp":1612440130000},"page":"819","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":35,"title":["Myrtus communis Essential Oil; Anti-Parasitic Effects and Induction of the Innate Immune System in Mice with Toxoplasma gondii Infection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2620-4189","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raafat M.","family":"Shaapan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Zoonosis, Veterinary Research Division, National Research Centre, El-Tahrir Street, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hiba Riyadh","family":"Al-Abodi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environment, College of Science, University of Al-Qadisiyah, P.O. Box 88, Al-Diwaniyah 58001, Iraq"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4862-7668","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdullah D.","family":"Alanazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, Ad-Dawadimi 11911, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6462-585X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sobhy","family":"Abdel-Shafy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, Veterinary Research Division, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marzieh","family":"Rashidipour","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nutritional Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad 68149-93165, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdullah F.","family":"Shater","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 71491, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hossein","family":"Mahmoudvand","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad 68149-93165, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2020\/7135268","article-title":"A Review on the Present Advances on Studies of Toxoplasmosis in Eastern Africa","volume":"2020","author":"Mose","year":"2020","journal-title":"Biomed. 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