In vitro protoscolicidal effects of Hypericum perforatum, Thymus vulgaris, Pimenta racemosa, and Mentha piperita against Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), an endemic zoonotic disease in Turkiye, is caused by the helminth Echinococcus granulosus. It has threatened the livestock industry and is of major medical and socio-economic importance to humans. Surgery is still the main practice of treatment, despite the risk of relapses and several adverse effects. Due to their minimal side effects, herbal products have been widely used for thousands of years to treat various infections. The present study was designed to investigate the in vitro protoscolicidal effect of extracts from Hypericum perforatum, Thymus vulgaris, Pimenta racemosa, and Mentha piperita against hydatid cyst protoscoleces. The livers and lungs of the sheep were obtained from a private abattoir, and the protoscoleces were collected under sterile conditions. The fi nal herbal products were extracted using the aqueous extraction method. Different concentrations of herbal extracts (50, 100, and 150 mg/ml) were tested on Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces, following different times of incubation (5, 10, and 60 min). The viability of the protoscoleces was assessed by a 0.1 % eosin staining method. Extracts of H. perforatum, T. vulgaris, and P. racemosa exhibited a statistically signifi cant effect on protoscoleces mortality (P<0.001) when compared with the negative control. The present experimental study indicated that aqueous extracts of H. perforatum, T. vulgaris, and P. racemosa could be potential candidates as valuable and useful sources of protoscolicidal agents for CE.