Abstract
Chemotherapy, used to treat hydatid cysts, can cause problems due to various side effects. Consequently, there is growing interest in non-chemical alternatives, such as medicinal plant extracts, as potential new treatments for hydatid cysts. This study investigated the protoscolicidal activity of green tea (Camellia sinensis) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) extracts at different concentrations and exposure times under laboratory conditions. Protoscolices were collected aseptically from the liver of sheep infected with hydatid cysts and exposed to three concentrations of C. sinensis and L. angustifolia extracts (10, 25, and 50 mg/mL) for 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. The viability of protoscolices was assessed using 0.1% eosin staining. The results showed that C. sinensis and L. angustifolia extracts at a concentration of 50 mg/mL effectively eliminated all protoscolices after 20 min. The scolicidal effects of C. sinensis and L. angustifolia were significant compared to the control groups. Furthermore, the results showed that these plant extracts have high protoscolicidal activity. However, further studies are needed to evaluate their in vivo effectiveness for treating hydatid cysts in humans and herbivorous animals.