Jolanta Piekarska

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of iridoid-anthocyanin extract from honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) (LC) berries on histopathological changes in the intestines and muscles during experimental trichinellosis in mice. The LC extract was administered to uninfected mice (LC group) and Trichinella-spiralis-infected mice (T+LC) orally at a dose of 2 g/kg bw, six times at 24 h intervals, from day 3 prior to infection to day 3 post-infection (dpi). Jejunum samples were collected on 5, 7, 14, and 21 dpi, and their histological assessment involved the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH/CD), goblet cell (GC) number, and morphological changes. In the T. spiralis-infected muscles, the extent of inflammatory infiltration on the 14th and 21st dpi was assessed. LC in the infected mice restored the VH/CD ratio to control values on 14 dpi. A beneficial effect of the LC extract on the villus height was also observed 14 dpi in the LC and T+LC groups. No differences in the extent of inflammatory infiltration in the muscles between the T+LC and T groups were observed. In conclusion, the iridoid-anthocyanin extract from honeysuckle berry contributed to alleviating the symptoms of the intestinal phase of T. spiralis infection.