Hydatidosis is a disease caused by infection with the metacestode stage of the dog tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus. This is recognised as one of the world’s most important zoonoses, affecting both humans and their domestic animals. In the current study, 20 sheep cystic livers or lungs were collected. Hydatid fluid and protoscolices were isolated and the soluble protein was prepared.  Polypeptide profile of hydatid fluid and protoscolices was analysed by SDS-PAGE with 12.5% acrylamide concentration. Humoral immunity and antigenic pattern were evaluated by Western blotting. In electrophoresis of hydatid fluid, five bands with molecular weight of 84, 68–70, 55, 27–28 and 16–17 kDa were observed; the 68–70 and 55 kDa bands were noticeably dominant. In Western blot of hydatid fluid protein, only 68–70 and 55 kDa bands had conciderable positive reaction. A total of 12 bands were also observed in protoscolices polypeptide profile. The molecular weight of the bands were 120, 88–89, 84, 66, 55–56, 49–50, 43–44, 36, 30–31, 24, 20 and 15–16 kDa. Seven bands with molecular weight of 66, 55–56, 49–50, 43–44, 36, 30–31 and 24 kDa had positive reaction in Western blot. We concluded that the determination of specific antigenic bands for sheep hydatid fluid and protoscolices was successfully achieved in this study.  

Background: Surgery is one of the best choices for the treatment of hydatidosis. The use of effective scolicidal agents during surgery for hydatid cyst is essential to prevent the secondary infection. Up to now no effective and safe agent has been identified for this purpose. Berberis vulgaris called “Zereshk” in Persian has been traditionally used as herbal remedy for the treatment of complaints and it is widely cultivated in Iran. Many studies have shown that it has antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic effect.Methods: In this study the scolicidal effect of Berberis vulgaris aqueous and hydroalcohol extract for different concentrations (for aqueous: 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mg/ml and for hydro-alcohol: 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/ml) at different exposure times (5, 15 and 30 minutes) was evaluated. For this purpose, we obtained liver hydatid-cysts from a slaughter house. Viability of protoscolices was assessed by 0.1% eosin staining. Normal saline and hypertonic saline were used as negative and positive controls respectively.Results: All the different concentrations of Berberis vulgaris aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts had scolicidal effect. An aqueous extract with 4mg/ml concentration acted as positive control and we observed to lead to the death of 100% of protoscolices in the first 5 minutes. The least scolicidal effect (12.3%) was observed in an aqueous extract with 0.5 mg/ml concentration. The scolicidal activity of hydro-alcoholic extract with concentration of 2 mg/ml was 100% after 5 min of application, which was the same as positive control group. We noticed a significant increase in protoscolicidal activity with an increase in concentration in the two extracts of Berberis vulgaris (P<0.001).Conclusion: It is important to mention that all the concentration levels and exposure times applied in this experiment are relatively low, since scolitical activity in both of the extracts is at its highest in this low spectrum. For further experiments, we suggest that the stability of cyst fluid in both of the extracts should be assessed. Therefore, after In vivo examination and additional experiments, it may be used as a suitable and effective scolicidal in surgery.

ENGLISH: Hydatidosis is the most important global parasitic infectious disease both in humans and animals, which can lodge at different organs of the host, such as liver, lung (even heart), and brain which may lead to death. Surgery is the main method for the treatment of hydatidosis. In surgical therapy of hydatidosis, the use of sporicidal agents is very important since these agents inactivate live protoscolices and prevent recurrence of infection. Presently, numerous scolicidal chemical agents have been administrated to inactivate the hydatid cyst contents. Recently, there has been a high tendency among researchers to evaluate and present herbal plants as alternative option due to inexpensiveness, availability, low side effects, and toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the scolicidal effect of hydro alcoholic Taxus baccata L. extract in vitro for the first time. The scolicidal activities of the extract were tested in concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 mg/ml following 10, 30, and 60 min of incubation, and the experiments were performed in triplicate. Viability of protoscolices was confirmed by 0. 1% eosin vital staining. The data were analyzed in SAS software (version 9. 4). The results showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of Taxus baccata L. at the concentration of 150 mg/ml led to killing 66. 6% of protoscolices at 60 min. according to the results of this investigation, it is recommended to use this plant as a scolicidal plant. The findings of the present study showed that Taxus baccata L. had potent scolicidal effects. However, further studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of Taxus baccata L. in vivo. FRENCH: Ré sumé : L'hydatidose est la maladie infectieuse parasitaire mondiale la plus importante chez les humains et les animaux, qui peut se loger dans diffé rents organes de l'hô te, tels que le foie, les poumons (mê me le coeur) et le cerveau, entraî nant parfois la mort. La chirurgie est la principale mé thode de traitement de l'hydatidose. Dans la thé rapie chirurgicale de l'hydatidose, l'utilisation d'agents sporicides est trè s importante car ces agents inactivent les protoscolices vivants et pré viennent la ré currence de l'infection. Actuellement, de nombreux agents chimiques scolicides ont é té administré s pour inactiver le contenu du kyste hydatique. Ré cemment, les chercheurs portent une attention particuliè re aux plantes mé dicinales comme traitement alternatif en raison de leur faible coû t, de leur disponibilité , de leurs faibles effets secondaires et toxicité . Cette é tude visait à é valuer pour la premiè re fois l'effet scolicide de l'extrait hydro-alcoolique du Taxus baccata L. in vitro. L’ activité scolicide de l'extrait a é té testé e à des concentrations de 50, 100 et 150 mg/ml aprè s 10, 30 et 60 minutes d'incubation, et les expé riences ont é té ré alisé es en triple. La viabilité des protoscolices a é té confirmé e par une coloration vitale à l'é osine à 0, 1%. Les donné es ont é té analysé es par le logiciel SAS (version 9. 4). Les ré sultats ont montré que l'extrait hydroalcoolique du Taxus baccata L. dans une concentration de 150 mg/ml a é liminé 66, 6% des protoscolices à 60 min. Selon les ré sultats de cette é tude, l’ utilisation de cette plante comme un agent scolicide est recommandé e. Ces ré sultats montrent que l’ extrait de Taxus baccata L. possè de un puissant effet scolicide. Cependant, d'autres é tudes sont né cessaires pour é valuer l'efficacité de Taxus baccata L. in vivo.

Hydatid cyst is the larval stage of dog tape wormEchinococcus granulosus. Protoscolices are parasite larvae that develop into adult worms in the final host intestine. During surgical treatment of human hydatidsosis spillage of live protoscolices is the major cause of hydatidosis recurrence. To prevent this problem scolicidal agent such as hypertonic salt are used to kill the protoscolices that may disseminate into the patient’s tissues during surgery. However, they may have some unacceptable side effects. To find scolicidal agents with high efficacy, the effect of different compounds on protoscolices of hydatid cystin vitro has been reviewed. Using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and SID databases articles about scolicidal effects of different agents on protoscolices of hydatid cystin vitro were collected.Foeniculum vulgare after 5 min, metalonic extracts of Allium sativum and hypertonic saline after 10 min, and warm water after 2 min kill all alive protoscolices. The above agents that in minimum time and minimum concentration have 100% scolicidal activity, could be good candidates for further investigations.

Hydatidosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases common to human beings and animals. Various  drugs are used to cure this disease.. Due to the side effects of the currently available drug treatments, efforts are being made to find effectual alternatives with fewer side effects. In this current research, curcumin, as an effective ingredient of turmeric, was examined on protoscolices of hydatid cysts in vitro. For this purpose, sheep livers infected with hydatid cysts  were obtained from Mashhad industrial slaughterhouse, the cyst protoscolices  were collected, and the viability of protoscolices  was determined by 0.1% eosin staining. To study scolicidal effects of curcumin, different concentrations of curcumin (40, 80, 160, 320 micromol ) along with positive control (Savlon) and negative control (normal saline) were applied on protoscolices  with 90% viability, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480 minutes after 37̊ C heat exposure . Subsequently, vital staining was done , and pictures were captured with a camera equipped with Tcapture software, finally, the viability of the protoscolices was calculated. All  the experiments were repeated four times. The scolicidal effects of curcumin concentrations of 160 and 320 μmol one hour after exposure were significant in comparison with the negative control group. Therefore, curcumin in the used form showed  protoscolicidal effects only in high doses. However, it may be possible  to increase the anti-protoscolices  effects of curcumin in future studies by  modifications or  combination with substances that increase its penetration and absorption.

Objective(s): Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles with the size range from 1 to 100 nanometers that are made in different shapes. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that look forward to open some new chances in order to destroy and control of microorganisms using of materials and systems at the scale of the atom. Echinococcus granulosus is the cause of cystic echinococcosis (CE) that has a cosmopolitan distribution. This parasite produces hydatid cysts that cause suffering various parts of mammalian host including liver, heart, brain, lung, and bone which may be fatal. The current methods for treatment of human CE involve surgery. Methods: This study was undertaken for the first time to evaluate the scolicidal effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against hydatid cyst protoscolices in vitro. The scolicidal activities of the zinc oxide nanoparticles were tested in concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 mg/ml following 10, 30 and 60 minutes of incubation and were repeated three times. Results were analyzed by SAS software. Results: The results showed that at the concentration of 50 mg/ml of nano Zno mortality rate is about 19. 6% protoscolices at 10 minutes. In 150 mg/ml concentration, the black ZnO particles were covered entire of all protoscolices, and they could not be seen or counted. Conclusions: This investigation showed statistically significant differences in the protoscolicidal activity with different dilutions of that ZnO NPs but, is not recommended as a powerful scolicidal agent.