Scolicidal effect of the aromatic water of Zataria multiflora: an in vitro study

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Hydatidosis is one of the most important parasitic zoonoses with worldwide distribution. Scolicidal agents are usually essential during the surgical therapy of hydatid cysts for prevention of recurrence. There is still no scolicidal agent with high efficacy and low adverse side effects. New and natural scolicidal agents not only may be used for production of new antihydatid drugs, but also they may be useable instead of existing scolicidal agents. In the present study, the scolicidal effect of the aromatic water (AW) of Zataria multiflora was investigated. Hydatid cyst protoscolices were collected aseptically from the cysts obtained from the livers of naturally infected sheep. Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were employed to determine the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) from Z. multiform AW. Protoscolices were exposed to Z.multiflora AW for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min. Viability of protoscolices was confirmed by 0.1 % eosin stain. Thymol, carvacrol, carvone, neo-dihydrocarveol, and 1,8-cineole were found to be the major EO constituents. The scolicidal power of Z. multiflora AW was 93.78, 96.33, 99.16, 99.48, and 100 % after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min, respectively. In the present study, Z. multiflora AW showed high in vitro scolicidal power. Since Z. multiflora AW is an edible drink, thus, it may be used safely as a natural scolicidal agent. However, further studies will be necessary to determine the feasibility of producing an effective new drug, using the constituents of Z. multiflora AW, for the treatment of hydatid disease.