In vitro ovicidal activity of Peganum harmala seeds extract on the eggs of Fasciola hepatica.

Abstract

Peganum harmala seeds extract has been previously reported to have antimicrobial and other medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ovicidal activity of the methanolic extract of P. harmala seeds against the eggs of F. hepatica. The phenolic compounds of the methanolic extract of P. harmala seeds were identified by HPLC analysis. Catechin, rutin, p-Coumaric acid, chloregenic acid and hesperetin were found to be the major phenolic compounds. F. hepatica eggs were collected from the gall bladder of naturally infected sheep. The eggs were exposed to two concentrations of P. harmala seeds extract (1 and 3mg/mL) for 24 and 48h. To investigate the effect of the P. harmala seeds extract on the miracidial formation, the treated eggs were incubated at 28°C for 14days. The results indicated that F. hepatica eggs were susceptible to the methanolic extract of P. harmala seeds. Following 24h exposure of the eggs to P. harmala seeds extract with concentrations of 1 and 3mg/mL, the miracidial formation reduced to 5 and 2.2% respectively (compared with 60% for the control group). Following 48h of exposure of the eggs to P. harmala seeds extract with 1mg/mL concentration, the miracidial formation reduced to 0.5%. In this exposure time, no miracidial formation was observed in the eggs exposed to P. harmala seeds extract with concentration of 3mg/mL. Therefore, the results of this study indicated that P. harmala seeds extract has high ovicidal activity against the eggs of F. hepatica. Accordingly, this extract may have the potential flukicidal activity against the immature and mature F. hepatica.