The use of Matricaria chamomilla aqueous extract as a treatment of mouse eyes experimentally infected with Acanthamoeba Castellani

Abstract

    The protozoan Acanthamoeba can significantly damage vision. It enters eye through contaminated contact lenses or water and, immediately kills target cells. This study aimed to use Matricaria chamomilla aqueous extract as a treatment for Acanthamoeba castellani experimentally infected mouse eyes. Samples of Matricaria chamomilla plants were acquired from nurseries in the Basrah Province. Following the preparation of plant extracts, gas contact mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify the active components, showing that aqueous plant extract of Matricaria chamomilla included active substances like alkaloids, phenols, tannins, glycosides, and flavones. Corneal scrapings were collected from patients in Basrah Teaching Hospital. The isolated protozoan has been morphologically classified in the collected specimens to the genus level depending on cyst morphology, given the genus A. Castellani. Plant extracts from Matricaria chamomilla have been examined in vivo for their capacity to destroy Acanthamoeba cells. Acanthamoeba trophozoites (6 x 10⁴ cells per ml) were inoculated into the eyes of healthy BALB/C mice (Mus musculus) and used for histological tests. The effects of Matricaria chamomilla aqueous plant extract on mice with healthy eyes showed that the epithelial layer healed, returning to its standard histological structure, and the protozoa went away.