IN-VITRO RESPONSE OF BLASTOCYSTIS-HOMINIS AGAINST TRADITIONAL CHINESEMEDICINE

This is the first in vitro study on the activity of 20 kinds of crude extracts of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on the intestinal paras ite, Blastocystis hominis using the criteria of living cell count (LCC ) and living cell rate (LCR). LCC and LCR were applied as observation indicators, the former as a fixed-quantity and the latter as a fixed-q uality method. LCR calculated percentage rate of living cells using eo sin-brilliant cresyl blue staining which could differentiate between l iving cells and dying or dead cells. There were five extracts with no inhibitory activity, thirteen with moderate inhibition and two with hi gh inhibition. The crude extracts of Coptis chinensis (CC) and Brucea javanica (BJ) were found to be most active against B. hominis. The act ive concentration of CC was 100 mu g/ml. The active concentration of B J was 500 mu g/ml. The active concentration of metronidazole (MD) was 10 mu g/ml and this was taken as an active standard drug for B. homini s.