Nanoliposomes increases Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis and apoptotic activities of metronidazole

•A nanoliposomal structure containing metronidazole was constructed.•We examined the Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis and apoptotic activities of nano-liposomal metronidazole (NLMTZ) in vitro.•NLMTZ showed increased anti-parasitic effects and apoptotic activities compared to metronidazole group. Trichomoniasis, caused by Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis), is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. As current trichomoniasis chemotherapies have many side effects, we examined the Anti-Trichomonas effects of nano-liposomal metronidazole (NLMTZ) compared to metronidazole (MTZ) in vitro. Liposomes were produced using the thin film hydration-sonication technique with a slight modification coated with MTZ. The average hydrodynamic diameter of monodispersed NLMTZ was evaluated by DLS and the morphological measurements were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of NLMTZ and MTZ (5, 10, 20 and 40 µg/mL) on T. vaginalis trophozoites (105 cells/mL) in trypticase-yeast extract-maltose (TYM) medium were evaluated in different exposure times. Then, cell viability, IC50, SEM analysis and the expression of the metacaspase gene were assessed by qRT-PCR. Growth inhibition of MTZ in a concentration of 40 μg/mL was 39.34% after 3 h, whereas NLMTZ caused 51% growth inhibition after 3 h and lysed Trichomonas completely after 12 h. The IC50 values were estimated at 31.51 and 15.90 μg/mL after a 6 h exposure for MTZ and NLMTZ, respectively. Moreover, both T. vaginalis treated with MTZ and NLMTZ had high levels of metacaspase mRNA expression relative to the control groups (P< 0.05). A significant difference was observed between the apoptotic intensities of T. vaginalis treated with MTZ and NLMTZ (P< 0.05). This study showed that nano-liposomal MTZ is a potentially excellent approach for the treatment of trichomoniasis in vitro, although further studies are needed before consideration of clinical trials. [Display omitted]