Scolicidal Effects of Mixture of Artemisia, Eucalyptus and Ginger Extracts on Hydatid Cyst Protoscolices

Abstract

Background and purpose: Hydatidosis is highly prevalent worldwide which mainly involves liver and lung. There are some drugs sensitive to the hydatid disease but surgery is still the most common form of treatment. Different chemical agents are used for inactivation of protoscolices during surgery but most leave serious side effects. Therefore, herbal extracts have received more attention as replacing agents that have acceptable scolicidal effects and no adverse effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the scolicidal effects of mixture of Artemisia, Eucalyptus and ginger extracts on hydatid cyst protoscolices in vitro. Materials and methods: Hydatid liver cysts isolated from sheep were collected from a slaughterhouse in Hamedan, Iran. The cysts fluid containing live protoscolices were aspirated aseptically. The effect of two concentrations of the methanolic extracts of the mixture (50 and 100 mg/ml) was investigated at 15 and 30 min. Viability of protoscolices was confirmed by 0.1% eosin staining. Data analysis was done applying Chi-square test. Results: The mixture of eucalyptus and ginger extracts showed acceptable scolicidal effects in which after 15 and 30 min exposure at 50 and 100 mg/ml concentrations it killed 97.24% and 100% of protoscolices, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed that mixture of Eucalyptus and ginger had high scolicidal activity in vitro condition. Therefore, it could be used in surgical treatment of hydatid cyst after complementary researches.

Keywords

• hydatid cyst
• artemisia
• zingiber
• eucalyptus
• scolicidal