Clotrimazole, ketoconazole, and clodinafop-propargyl inhibit the in vitro growth of babesia bigemina and babesia bovis (Phylum Apicomplexa)

• Main Authors: Bork, S., Yokoyama, N., Matsuo, T., Claveria, Florencia G., Fujisaki, K., Igarashi, Ikuo
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2003
• Subjects: Babesiosis in cattle; Babesia bigemina; Ketoconazole; Antifungal agents; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/2369; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/faculty_research/article/3368/type/native/viewcontent
• Institution: De La Salle University

We evaluated the growth inhibitory efficacy of the imidazole derivatives, clotrimazole (CLT) and ketoconazole (KC), and the herbicide clodinafop- propargyl (CP), in in vitro cultures of Babesia bovis and B. bigemina. Clotrimazole was effective in a dose range of 15 to 60 μM (IC 50:11 and 23.5 μM), followed by KC (50 to 100 μM; IC 50 : 50 and 32 μM) and CP (500 μM; IC50 : 265 and 390 μM). In transmission electron microscopy, extensive damage was observed in the cytoplasm of drug-treated parasites. Combinations of CLT/KC, CLT/CP and CLT/KC/CP acted synergistically in both parasites. In contrast, the combination of KC/CP was exclusively effective in B. bovis, but not in B. bigemina.