The scolicidal activity of the essential oil obtained from the needles of Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe on hydatid cyst.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro activity of the essential oil of Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana against protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. In traditional Turkish folk medicine, the essential oils and resin of P. nigra and P. sylvestris are used externally for wound healing. They are also used in cattle for treating worms and as boiling essence against cold and stomachache. Protoscoleces were aseptically aspirated from sheep livers having hydatid cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three concentrations (10, 30, and 50 mg/mL) of the essential oil from P. nigra subsp. pallasiana cones were used for 10-60 min. The essential oil was applied to protoscoleces of hydatid cyst to determine the scolicidal activity of the essential oil. Viability of protoscoleces was observed by 0.1% eosin staining. RESULTS: The rate of dead protoscoleces was found to be 2.27% in the control group, which was not treated with essential oil. The rate of dead protoscoleces increased to 61.69%, 69.39%, 75.98% and 71.76% respectively after, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min when the protoscoleces were exposed to the P. nigra subsp. pallasiana essential oil at 10 mg/mL concentration. When protoscoleces were exposed to the essential oil of P. nigra subsp. pallasiana for 10, 20, 30, and 60 min at 30 mg/mL concentration, the mortality rates of protoscoleces were determined as 3.82%, 91.33%, 94.67% and 96.74%, respectively. The mortality rate of 100% was determined at 50 mg/mL concentration after 60 min of exposure. According to statistical analysis, P. nigra subsp. pallasiana essential oil at all concentrations had significant scolicidal effects compared to the control group at all exposure times. CONCLUSIONS: The essential oil of P. nigra subsp. pallasiana needles showed scolicidal activity and it could be a new scolicidal agent for using in hydatid cyst treatment.

Anthelmintic efficacy of Clerodendrum viscosum on fowl tapeworm Raillietina tetragona.

CONTEXT: Clerodendrum viscosum Vent. (Verbenaceae) is a shrub, widely used amongst the natives of India against various diseases. OBJECTIVE: Crude extract of the plant was tested in vitro on a tapeworm Raillietina tetragona Molin (Davaineidae) to evaluate its potential anthelmintic efficacy and ultrastructural changes in the parasite. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Parasites were exposed to different concentrations of ethanolic leaf extract (10-80 mg/mL) and praziquantel (0.0005-0.005 mg/mL) and incubated in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The pH was 7.4 at 37 °C, while one set of worms was incubated only with PBS as a control. Permanent immobilization of worms was determined visually when no motility occurred on physically disturbing them. The parasites exposed to high concentrations of leaf extract and praziquantel treatments were processed for histological and electron microscopic studies, as these concentrations took the least time for paralysis and death to occur. RESULT: With an increase in the concentration of the leaf extract from 10 to 80 mg/mL and praziquantel from 0.0005 to 0.005 mg/mL, the time for the onset of paralysis and death was shortened. The treated parasites lost their spontaneous movement rapidly followed by death. Electron microscopic observations revealed disruptions in the tegument and parenchymal layer, accompanied by deformities in cell organelles. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Extensive structural alterations in the tegument indicate that the plant-derived components cause permeability changes in the parasite leading to paralysis and subsequent death. These observations suggest that phytochemicals present in C. viscosum have vermifugal or vermicidal activity, and thus may be exploited as alternative chemotherapeutic agents.

[STEROIDAL GENINS AND GLYCOSIDES OF SPIROSTAN AND FUROSTAN SERIES AS ANTHELMINTHIC AGENTS].

It was established that steroidal genins and their glycosides of the spirostan series and (especially) furostan series show anticestodal activity against Hymeiolepis nana species. Search for anthelminthic agents in the indicated series of compounds is a promising direction of research.

Senna leaf extracts induced Ca(+2) homeostasis in a zoonotic tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta.

Context Plants and plant products have been used in traditional medicine as anthelmintic agents in human and veterinary medicine. Three species of Senna plant, S. alata (L), S. alexandrina (M) and S. occidentalis (L.) Link (Fabaceae) have been shown to have a vermicidal/vermifugal effect on a zoonotic tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta (Rudolphi) (Cyclophyllidean). Objective The present study validates the mode of action of these Senna plants on the parasite. The alcoholic leaf extract was determined to obtain information on the intracellular free calcium concentration level. Materials and methods Hymenolepis diminuta was maintained in Sprague-Dawley rat model for 2 months. Live parasites collected from infected rat intestine were exposed to 40 mg/mL concentration of each plant extracts prepared in phosphate buffer saline at 37 °C, till parasite gets paralyzed. The rate of efflux of calcium from the parasite tissue to the medium and the level of intracellular Ca(2+ )concentration were determined by an atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results This study revealed that exposure of the worms to the plant extract leads to disruption in intracellular calcium homeostasis. A significant increase (44.6% and 25%) of efflux in Ca(2+ )from the tissue to the incubated medium was observed. Senna alata showed high rate of efflux (5.32 mg/g) followed by S. alexandria and S. occidentalis (both 4.6 mg/g) compared with control (3.68 mg/g). Discussion and conclusion These results suggest that leaf extracts caused membrane permeability to Ca(2+ )after vacuolization of the tegument under stress and the extracts may contain compound that can be used as a chemotherapeutic agent.

Effect of Pistacia atlantica Fruit and Leaf Extracts on Hydatid Cyst Protoscolices.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of human hydatidosis is mainly surgical, with chemical treatment being reserved as a coadjuvant treatment. Use of effective protoscolicidal agents during surgery of hydatid disease is essential to reduce the recurrence rate. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the scolicidal effects of Pistacia atlantica leaf and fruit hydroalcoholic extracts on protoscolices of hydatid cyst. METHOD: Echinococcus granulosus protoscolices were obtained from 50 sheep infected with hydatid cysts. Various concentrations of plant hydroalcoholic extracts were used in different exposure times for viability assay of protoscolices. RESULTS: The scolicidal effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts of the leaf, fresh and dried fruits were significant compared to the control groups (P < 0.05). Among the Pistacia atlantica extracts tested, 0.1% (mg/ml) concentrations of fresh fruit extract (99.09 ± 1.27) and leaf extract (89.25 ± 18.42) had strong scolicidal effects in 360 min, of exposure times and the mortality rate decreased with the lower concentration. CONCLUSION: Information from the current study has the strong scolicidal effect of fresh fruit hydroalcoholic extract of Pistacia atlantica on protoscoleces, which may be used as a scolicidal agent during the surgery techniques.

Phytochemicals from Flemingia vestita (Fabaceae) and Stephania glabra (Menispermeaceae) alter cGMP concentration in the cestode Raillietina echinobothrida.

Cyclic GMP (cGMP) mediates various physiological functions of nitric oxide (NO) synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). A crude peel extract and purified fraction of Flemingia vestita, as well as a crude rhizome extract of Stephania glabra and fractions were tested with respect to the activity of NOS, NO efflux and cGMP concentration in the cestode Raillietina echinobothrida in order to find out the possible mode of anthelmintic action of these plant-derived components. For comparison purposes, the parasites were also treated with pure genistein, sodium nitroprusside (SNP-a known NO donor), and the reference drug, praziquantel (PZQ). At the time of onset of paralysis in the parasites, a significant increase (32%-87%) in the NOS activity and a two to three fold increase of NO efflux into the incubation medium were observed in the treated parasites in comparison to their respective controls. The cGMP concentration in the treated parasites' tissue was also increased by 44%-103%. However, in the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a potent inhibitor of NOS, there was no increase in the cGMP concentration in the parasite tissue. This study indicates that the phytochemicals, in particular genistein and tetrahydropalmatine, from F. vestita and S. glabra, respectively, disturb the downstream signalling pathway of NO, as indicated by the change in cGMP concentration in the parasite tissue.

Treatment of taeniasis with Puag-Haad: a crude extract of Artocarpus lakoocha wood.

Thirty-nine patients with tapeworm infection were treated with five grams of crude aqueous extract of Artocarpus lakoocha wood, "Puag-Haad". Seven of them vomited the drug immediately. Of the 32 patients, segments with scolices of Taenia saginata and of Taenia solium were recovered from 24 and 2 patients respectively. The side effects were vomiting and nausea.