A Natural Remedy Against Trichomoniasis? Promising Results from Essential Oils

Trichomonas infection is the most widespread non-viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide. It is caused by a protozoan called Trichomonas vaginalis, a microorganism that can also coexist with certain bacteria, such as Mycoplasma hominis and Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii. This “coexistence” can make the protozoan more resistant to drugs, particularly to 5-nitroimidazoles, the only class of medications currently effective against this infection.

Among these drugs, the most commonly used is metronidazole, but more and more strains of T. vaginalis are developing resistance, making the search for alternative therapies urgent.

A team of researchers from our Department decided to explore a natural approach: evaluating the effectiveness of essential oils extracted from three plants cultivated in Vietnam — Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass), Citrus grandis (pomelo), and Mentha arvensis (wild mint) — against 30 strains of T. vaginalis isolated from symptomatic women in Italy and Vietnam.

The goal was not only to see whether these oils could inhibit the protozoan, but also to assess whether they worked against strains infected with M. hominis and Ca. M. girerdii; whether they harmed lactobacilli, beneficial bacteria essential for the balance of the vaginal flora; and whether they were toxic to human cells, particularly cervical epithelial cells (HeLa cells).

All three oils showed good activity against the protozoan, without affecting the growth of lactobacilli.

Among them, lemongrass essential oil (C. citratus) proved the most effective, even against T. vaginalis strains associated with bacteria.

Moreover, none of the tested oils showed toxic effects on human cells, at least at concentrations effective against the protozoan.

This study suggests that lemongrass essential oil could become an interesting natural alternative for the treatment of trichomonas infections, especially in cases where metronidazole is no longer effective.

The results are encouraging and pave the way for further research to develop new natural-substance-based treatments capable of countering even the most resistant forms of the infection.