Antiprotoscolices effect of methanolic extract of Zingiber officinale, Artemisia aucheri and Eucalyptus globulus against Echinococcus granulosus in vitro

First choice in the treatment of hydatid disease is still surgery. Leakage the live protoscolices during surgery and the risk of secondary cysts have been a permanent fair for surgeons. Various methods and materials have been used to kill protoscolices as well as drug therapy that most of them had serious side effects. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro scolicidal effect of methanolic extract of eucalyptus, artemisia and ginger. Protoscolices were collected aseptically from the hydatid cysts of the sheep; washed three times in sterile PBS and stored at 4 °C until use. Live protoscolices were exposed for 5, 10, 25, 40 and 60 min for three concentrations of the each extract (25, 50,100 mg/ml).The viability of the protoscolices were confirmed by 0.1% eosin staining method. The methanolic extract of ginger at concentration of 100 mg/ml, and eucalyptus at concentrations of 50, 100 mg/ml killed 100% of protoccolices after 40 min respectively. Scolicidal effect of all concentrations of the methanolic extract of ginger and eucalyptus was significant comparing to the control groups at all exposure times (P<0.001).No significant relationship was observed between the artemisia extract at different concentrations and exposure times comparing to the control groups (p=0.99). The results of this study showed that the eucalyptus and ginger extract have high scolicidal activity and can be used as natural scolicidal agents.