انجمن علوم و صنایع غذایی ایران مجله علوم و صنایع غذایی ایران 2008-8787 23 174-ویژه نامه 2026 07 23 Antiparasitic Activity of Medicinal Food Plants (Allium sativum, Punica granatum, and Carica papaya) against Intestinal Parasites: Phytochemical, Nutritional, and In Vitro Evaluation Antiparasitic Activity of Medicinal Food Plants (Allium sativum, Punica granatum, and Carica papaya) against Intestinal Parasites: Phytochemical, Nutritional, and In Vitro Evaluation 262 277 28963 10.48311/fsct.2026.120972.83185 FA Manahel Hadi Mjefi Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Wasit, Wasit, Iraq Bdour Mohammed Al-Shweily Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Wasit, Wasit, Iraq Noor J. Hussein J. Hussein Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Wasit, Wasit, Iraq Journal Article 2026 06 02 The extraction was performed using 80% ethanol (maceration for 72 hours at room temperature) and distilled water (decoction at 100°C for 30 minutes). The extraction yields for ethanolic extracts were: A. sativum 12.4%, P. granatum 18.7%, C. papaya 10.2% (w/w dry weight). All three extracts were found to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, terpenoids and saponins from the qualitative phytochemical screening. The quantitative analysis showed that P. granatum ethanolic extract had the highest total phenolic content (287.6 ± 12.4 mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoid content (134.2 ± 6.7 mg QE/g DW) and total tannin content (98.7 ± 4.8 mg TAE/g DW). Proximate nutritional analysis performed according to AOAC methods revealed that the protein content of A. sativum (6.4 ± 0.3%) was significantly higher than those of the other species while the vitamin C content of C. papaya (61.8 ± 3.4 mg/100 g) was significantly higher than those of the other species. P. granatum was found to be the most active against all the parasites used in this study, with the lowest IC₅₀ value of 1.4 ± 0.09 mg/mL against G. lamblia trophozoites, followed by A. sativum (2.8 ± 0.18 mg/mL) and C. papaya (5.2 ± 0.31 mg/mL). The positive controls used were metronidazole (IC₅₀ 0.8 ± 0.04 mg/mL for Giardia and Entamoeba), nitazoxanide (IC₅₀ 1.2 ± 0.06 mg/mL for Cryptosporidium), and pyrimethamine (IC₅₀ 1.8 ± 0.09 mg/mL for Toxoplasma). The extraction was performed using 80% ethanol (maceration for 72 hours at room temperature) and distilled water (decoction at 100°C for 30 minutes). The extraction yields for ethanolic extracts were: A. sativum 12.4%, P. granatum 18.7%, C. papaya 10.2% (w/w dry weight). All three extracts were found to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, terpenoids and saponins from the qualitative phytochemical screening. The quantitative analysis showed that P. granatum ethanolic extract had the highest total phenolic content (287.6 ± 12.4 mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoid content (134.2 ± 6.7 mg QE/g DW) and total tannin content (98.7 ± 4.8 mg TAE/g DW). Proximate nutritional analysis performed according to AOAC methods revealed that the protein content of A. sativum (6.4 ± 0.3%) was significantly higher than those of the other species while the vitamin C content of C. papaya (61.8 ± 3.4 mg/100 g) was significantly higher than those of the other species. P. granatum was found to be the most active against all the parasites used in this study, with the lowest IC₅₀ value of 1.4 ± 0.09 mg/mL against G. lamblia trophozoites, followed by A. sativum (2.8 ± 0.18 mg/mL) and C. papaya (5.2 ± 0.31 mg/mL). The positive controls used were metronidazole (IC₅₀ 0.8 ± 0.04 mg/mL for Giardia and Entamoeba), nitazoxanide (IC₅₀ 1.2 ± 0.06 mg/mL for Cryptosporidium), and pyrimethamine (IC₅₀ 1.8 ± 0.09 mg/mL for Toxoplasma). https://fsct.modares.ac.ir/article_28963_18d84eb30b59b5f3cc748bfe9f68b472.pdf