Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit is an important food in the Middle East. Some date palm cultivars like the Ajwa is revered for its health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals like phenolic compounds are in part responsible for such health benefits. However, detailed information on these compounds is lacking. The present work aimed to investigate phytochemical components of Ajwa cultivar using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS in three different extraction solvents (aqueous, methanol–water, acetone–water) and three different extraction durations (2, 5 and 24 h). The proposed method provided tentative identification of 169 bioactive compounds out of which 44 (polyphenols and other phytochemical compounds) were successfully identified from three different extracts and three different extraction durations. Twenty-one compounds never previously reported in the Ajwa cultivar were identified. Aqueous-based extraction solvent and 24-h extraction duration yielded most phytochemical compounds.

Plant derived cysteine proteinases (CPs) have long been known to possess anthelmintic properties but have attracted renewed attention recently because of the acute need to discover novel methods for controlling helminth infections as a result of increasing drug resistance. However, surprisingly little is known about the stability of these proteins under typical storage and in vivo exposure conditions. We found that CPs in a supernatant preparation from papaya latex (PLS) were stable during the initial refinement process and when stored under low temperatures, but lost activity during dialysis and within 7 days of storage when kept at ambient temperature (18–20 °C). The enzyme activity in PLS was not affected by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and was also stable under typical in vitro assay conditions at 37 °C used for quantifying effects on helminths. Active enzyme activity was still detectable in the colon 3–4 h after oral administration in rodent models.

Hymenolepis diminuta is a natural parasite of the common brown rat Rattus norvegicus, and provides a convenient model system for the assessment of the anthelmintic activity of novel drugs against cestodes. The experiments described in this paper indicate that treatment of rats infected with H. diminuta with a supernatant extract of papaya latex, containing a mixture of four cysteine proteinases, was moderately efficacious, resulting in a significant, but relatively small, reduction in worm burden and biomass. However, faecal egg output was not affected by treatment. In our experiments these effects were only partially dose-dependent, although specific inhibition by E-64 confirmed the role of cysteine proteinases as the active principles in papaya latex affecting worm growth but not statistically reducing worm burden. Data collected for a further 7 days after treatment indicated that the effects of papaya latex supernatant on worm loss and on worm growth were not enhanced. Our findings provide a starting point for further refinement in formulation and delivery, or assessment of alternative natural plant-derived cysteine proteinases in efforts to develop these naturally occurring enzymes into broad-spectrum anthelmintics, with efficacy against cestodes as well as nematodes.

Parasitic helminth infection is a global affliction affecting both of people and livestock causing significant economic loss. Control however has not been successful due to political neglect and the development of resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Novel alternative compounds are urgently needed which resulted in screening of largely plant based sources for anthelmintic property. Animals are also important sources for medicine. Milk which has been mentioned in holy texts is a wholesome food essential for growth and health. It has also been shown to promote health due to its balanced nutritive profile and presence of bioactive components. A systematic review was performed to investigate the anthelmintic effect of milk using five scientific databases; EBSCOhost, PUBMED, EMBASE, OVID, and SCOPUS. The search included any studies related to anthelmintic effects of milk specifically animal-based milk but not those related to milk production or plant-based milk. The search yielded 353 manuscripts but only 8 manuscripts were taken into consideration after reviewing their title, abstract and full paper using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Five articles demonstrated the anthelmintic effects of bovine milk in vitro and in vivo. One article reported antiparasitic effect in breast fed babies. One article demonstrated the superior anthelmintic effects of camel milk in vitro while cow, ewe and goat milk exhibited weak ovicidal only effects. In conclusion our systematic review yielded limited anecdotal evidence of anthelmintic property of milk. Bovine, human and camel milk showed good potential for future use in helminth control. However, the exact mechanism by which milk exhibited anthelmintic effect remains unclear.

Novel alternative compounds for the treatment of soil-transmitted helminths are urgently needed due to the development of resistance to chemotherapy. Many screen plants for anthelmintic activity, but animal-based products are also potential sources for medicine. For example, caprine milk is a popular drink much coveted for its nutraceutical effect. However, the anthelmintic activity of caprine milk is not known. The present study utilizes a systematic review of the literature to identify any anthelmintic effect of caprine milk from Scopus, Medline, Ovid, Embase, Cinahl and Web of Science databases. Of the 355 titles produced by the bibliographic search only 3 manuscripts were included in this review. Our systematic review found very limited evidence of caprine milk having any anthelmintic effect. It highlights the need for a more focused and rigorous work on the anthelmintic effect of caprine milk.

Mucus secretion by intestinal goblet cells constitutes an important mechanism in TH2 response following helminth infection mediated by the key cytokine IL-22. This indirect mechanism rather than directly attacking the parasite is important in preventing helminth attachment hence promoting helminth expulsion from the intestinal tract. We hypothesized that natural products having an anthelmintic activity like caprine milk may exert similar response. Using human intestinal LS174T cells treated with IL-22 to simulate helminth infection, we tested whether or not the co-treatment with caprine milk induces MUC1, MUC3, MUC4 and MUC5B genes expression. Optimal concentrations for caprine milk was determined to be 25% and 50% from cell viability assay. IL-22 induced helminth infection model was confirmed. However, the indirect anthelmintic effect of caprine milk was only relative as treatment of caprine milk in LS174T cells and IL-22 in vitro did not significantly induce MUC1, MUC3, MUC4 and MUC5B genes expression when compared to treatment with IL-22 alone. In conclusion, caprine milk was not significantly associated with the mechanism of increased mucus production through upregulation of mucin genes by intestinal cells. Caprine milk may possess direct anthelmintic effect rather than indirect.