Abstract
Human cystic echinococcosis remains a major public health problem on several countries and the treatment strategies are not solved. The aim of the present work was to determine the in vitro effect of thymol and Mentha piperita, M. pulegium, and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils on the proliferation of E. granulosus larval cells. Isolated cells and cellular aggregates were obtained from hydatid cyst's germinal layer and exposed to 1, 5, and 10 μg/ml of thymol and the different essential oils for 7 days. Drug effect was evaluated using test viability and scanning electron microscopy. Control cell culture viability was 2.1 x 106 (100%) after 7 days of incubation. At day 7, thymol 5 μg/ml caused a reduction in cell viability of 63% and the essential oils of M. piperita 10 μg/ml, M. pulegium 10 μg/ml, and R. officinalis 10 μg/ml produced a reduction in the viability of 77, 82, and 71%, respectively. Moreover essential oils caused reduction in cell number, collapsed cells, and loss of normal tridimensional composition of the aggregates. Due to the inhibitory effect caused by essential oils on E. granulosus cells we suggested that it would be an effective means for suppression of larval growth.
Highlights
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of the parasite Echinococcus granulosus which has a worldwide distribution and important medical and economic impact [1]
No differences were found when medium containing propylene glycol (PG) or dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was used as control (Figure 1)
The highest anthelmintic effect of thymol was obtained with 5 μg/mL showing a reduction of 63% in cell viability at day 7
Summary
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of the parasite Echinococcus granulosus which has a worldwide distribution and important medical and economic impact [1]. Metacestode or hydatid cyst is composed of three layers, an inner germinal layer which contains several cell types including undifferentiated cells, as well as muscle and tegumentary cells. This layer is supported externally by a noncellular laminated layer, which is surrounded by a hostproduced adventitial layer [2]. Surgery constitutes the most used alternative of CE treatment since it has the potential to remove the cysts and lead to complete cure [3]. To date there is no alternative treatment with 100% efficacy. A strong impetus for researchers to develop alternative treatment methods, such as the use of traditional medicinal plants, has recently been promoted [4]
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