Abstract

BackgroundOne of the most important ways to cure hydatid cysts is surgery. Today, available chemical drugs have shown severe complications during hydatid cyst surgery. Here we investigated theefficacy and safety of Curcuma longa (C. longa) essential oil (CLEO) against hydatid cysts protoscoleces.MethodsHere, the collected protoscoleces from fertile hydatid cysts were exposed to different concentrations of the CLEO (50-200 mu l/mL) for 5-30min in vitro and ex vivo. In addition, male NIHmice (48 mice) were applied to examine the safety of CLEO.ResultsAll protoscoleces were completely killed in 5th min of treatment to the doses of 200 mu l /mL of CLEO. On the other hand, in the 10th min of treatment, CLEO entirely killed 100 of protoscoleces at the dose of 100 mu L/mL. Other doses of CLEO, but, revealed a postponed activity. Although CLEO at the doses of 50, and 100 mu L/mL exhibited no similar effect in the ex vivo analysis; but, at the dose of 200 mu L/mL and an exposure time of 5min, approximately 100 of protoscoleces were destroyed into the cyst. We found that after intra-peritoneal injection of the CLEO for 14days, although blood and biochemical parameters were changed; but there was no significant difference in comparison with the control group (p>0.05).ConclusionThis research demonstrated that C. longa revealed the promising scolicidal effects against protoscoleces in vitro and in vivo, of course, after additional tests; it might be considered as an herbal scolicidal drug in order to decrease the threat of discharge of protoscoleces through hydatid cyst surgery. Nevertheless, supplementary studies will be desired to prove the current findings by examination the essential oil in a clinical setting.