Investigation of the in vitro anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity of the citrus-derived flavonoids hesperetin and naringin https://doi.org/10.12982/VIS.2026.084
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an important intracellular parasite that poses a substantial public health concern worldwide, particularly among immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. Pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine are the standard treatments for toxoplasmosis. However, these drugs can cause adverse effects and teratogenicity, potentially leading to treatment failure. These limitations highlight the need to explore new drugs as alternative therapeutic agents. Hesperetin and naringin are citrus-derived flavonoids known to exhibit antiparasitic activity. However, evidence regarding their effects against T. gondii remains limited. This study evaluated their cytotoxicity against human foreskin fibroblast cells using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and assessed their anti-T. gondii (RH strain) activity using a plaque assay. Both hesperetin and naringin exhibited low cytotoxicity, with CC50 values exceeding 100 µg/mL. Interestingly, hesperetin completely inhibited T. gondii plaque formation at 100 µg/mL, and this effect was comparable to that of the reference drug pyrimethamine. In contrast, naringin showed no inhibitory effect on plaque formation compared with the untreated group. Although hesperetin and naringin belong to the same chemical class, they demonstrated a clear difference in antiparasitic activity. In conclusion, hesperetin derived from citrus plants exhibited anti-T. gondii activity with low cytotoxicity in vitro. Further studies are required to elucidate its mechanism of action and evaluate its potential therapeutic applications.
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