ANTIAMOEBIC ACTIVITY OF ORTHOSIPHON ARISTATUS (CAT’S WHISKERS) ON ACANTHAMOEBA FROM CONTACT LENS

Abstract

Acanthamoeba, a free-living protozoan, is the causative agent of granulomatous amebic
encephalitis and Acanthamoeba keratitis, which highly associated with contact lens wearers.
The present study aimed to investigate the antiamoebic effect of Orthosiphon aristatus extracts
against Acanthamoeba genotype T4 in vitro. The isolated Acanthamoeba from contact lens was
maintained on 1.5% non-nutrient agar for cystic stage and trophozoite cultured in PYG-medium.
The ethanolic extracts of O.aristatus leaves were prepared in different concentrations of 125,
250, and 500 mg/ml. The viability of the trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba were
observed after incubation with the plant extracts at 24, 48 and 72h. Chlorhexidine 0.02% was
used as the positive control. The experiments of trophozoites and cysts were test in triplicate
for testing the viability by trypan blue vital staining and hemacytometer. The crude leaf extract
of O.aristatus compounds showed significant growth inhibition effects 100% of trophozoites as
well as interrupted the encystation activity at the minimum concentrations of 250 μg/ml after
24 hours. The O.aristatus compounds could not kill the cyst after 72 hours. Further
investigations are needed to find the effective fractions of Orthosiphon aristatus and the
mechanisms of effective constituents for development of alternative therapeutics against
Acanthamoeba infections. It can also be tested in vivo or even against other microorganisms.