A Purified Novel Protein Obtained from Chlorella vulgaris Against Toxoplasma gondii.

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the extract and purified protein from the microalga Chlorella vulgaris against T. gondii in infected Vero cells.

METHOD: The extract was obtained through magnetic stirring with Tris-HCl buffer and evaluated for cytotoxicity and anti-Toxoplasma activity. The purified protein was isolated using Sephadex G- 75 chromatography and assessed in light microscopy assays.

RESULTS

Results indicated that the CC50 of the C. vulgaris extract was > 2000 μg/mL. Both the extract and the purified protein effectively inhibited parasite multiplication, with IC50 values of 132.6 and 8.6 μg/mL, respectively, and selectivity indices of 11.5 and > 20, respectively.

DISCUSSION: Microscopic analysis showed that the purified protein, even at higher concentrations, did not exhibit toxicity to the cells and reduced the number of intracellular tachyzoites.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that both the extract and purified protein of C. vulgaris possess the ability to inhibit T. gondii tachyzoites without causing toxicity to healthy cells, indicating their potential as bioactive compounds for pharmacological applications against toxoplasmosis.