Alghamdi TH. Enhanced surgical tolerance of schistosomiasis-induced fibrotic liver following treatment with Ziziphus plant extract. World J Hepatol 2026; 18(1): 114542 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v18.i1.114542]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Thamer H Alghamdi, Associate Professor, Consultant, Department of Surgery, Al-Baha University, Prince Mohammad Bin Saud Road, Al Baha 65716, Saudi Arabia. tthaker@bu.edu.sa
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Basic Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Jan 27, 2026; 18(1): 114542 Published online Jan 27, 2026. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v18.i1.114542
Enhanced surgical tolerance of schistosomiasis-induced fibrotic liver following treatment with Ziziphus plant extract
Thamer H Alghamdi
Thamer H Alghamdi, Department of Surgery, Al-Baha University, Al Baha 65716, Saudi Arabia
Author contributions: Alghamdi TH contributed to study design, implementation and supervision, and manuscript preparation.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: The Ethics Committee Board of Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia approved the study protocol (Approval No. REC/SUR/BU-FM/2022/59).
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: There is no objection for sharing data.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Thamer H Alghamdi, Associate Professor, Consultant, Department of Surgery, Al-Baha University, Prince Mohammad Bin Saud Road, Al Baha 65716, Saudi Arabia. tthaker@bu.edu.sa
Received: September 23, 2025 Revised: October 9, 2025 Accepted: December 1, 2025 Published online: January 27, 2026 Processing time: 126 Days and 16.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract (ZSCLE) can be used to treat hepatic schistosomiasis. However, its role as an anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative agent remains unexplored.
AIM
To assess the therapeutic potential of ZSCLEs in hamsters infected with Schistosom mansoni (S. mansoni) undergoing 50% liver resection (LR).
METHODS
Fifty hamsters were divided into five groups (10 hamsters each), with group I serving as the control; group II received ZSCLE treatment only; group III was infected with S. mansoni but was untreated; group IV was infected with S. mansoni and received ZSCLE treatment; group V was infected with S. mansoni and underwent ZSCLE treatment and 50% LR. Each group was analyzed using DNA flow cytometry, and oxidative stress (nitric oxide levels), inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ), and liver biomarkers were assessed. Histopathological examination was conducted for all groups.
RESULTS
Compared with the infected untreated group, the ZSCLE-treated group showed a significant 70.2% reduction in hepatic tissue egg load (3459.5 ± 191.3 vs 1032 ± 25.1, P < 0.001), and the ZSCLE-treated group that underwent surgical resection showed a 71.8% decrease (2021.7 ± 190.2 vs 7193.3 ± 103.4, P < 0.001). Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin levels were higher in group III than in group I, group IV, and group V (P < 0.0001). The liver regeneration rate (%) was significantly higher in group IV and group V than in group III (median values: 45.18%, 47.93% vs 28.31%). Pathological examination revealed fewer granulomas in group V.
CONCLUSION
ZSCLE-LR is a potent agent against schistosomiasis-induced hepatic damage, exhibiting a significant role in promoting hepatic regeneration. Further molecular-level studies are warranted to investigate the phytochemical properties of ZSCLE and its potential applications in managing schistosomiasis-induced hepatic fibrosis.
Core Tip: The present research strongly suggests that Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract is a powerful agent in protecting the liver from damage induced by Schistosoma mansoni. Furthermore, this study’s data revealed that liver damage is severely influenced by Schistosoma mansoni infection. The Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract treatment improved biochemical parameters, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, DNA integrity, and pathological liver outcomes.
