LETHAL EFFECTS OF PISTACIA ATLANTICA LEAVES EXTRACT AGAINST PROTO-SCOLECES OF HYDATID CYSTS

Surgery is one of the best options to treat cystic echinococcosis (CE, hydatid cyst). To date, surgeon used different protoscolicidal drugs to eliminate of protoscoleces during CE surgery, but most of these agents have some serious side effects. The current study aims to explore the in-vitro protoscolicidal effects of Pistacia atlantica leave extract against hydatid cyst proto-scolices.  Proto-scolices were collected from livers of infected sheep and were exposed with different concentrations of P. atlantica extract (8.75 – 70 mg/ml) for 10 – 60 min. Finally, to explore the viability of proto-scolices eosin exclusion examination was applied. The major components of leave extract of P. atlantica in gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry were trans-caryophyllene (15.18%), α-amorphene (8.1%), and neoalloocimene (6.21%), respectively. The obtained results revealed that P. atlantica leave extract had remarkable proto-scolicidal effects against proto-scoleces of hydatid cysts; so that killed completely (100%) all of proto-scoleces at the dose of 70 mg/ml after 10 min of treatment. Also, P. atlantica leave extract at the concentration of 35 mg/ml was eliminated 100% of proto-scoleces after 20 min of incubation. These findings indicated that P. atlantica leave extract had remarkable protoscolicidal properties versus hydatid cyst proto-scoleces which indicated the ability of P. atlantica as a natural resource to produce of novel proto-scolicidal drug for CE surgery.