Hymenolepis nana (H. nana) is the most common tapeworm infection worldwide. It is more prevalent in warm climates where sanitation is poor, particularly among children. .In this work we investigated the effect of praziquantel (PZQ), given at a dose of 25-mg/kg BW(single dose), and essential oil of lamiceae family given at a dose of 400ul/k.g BW(for 5 days and a second course given after one week) on the egg viability of experimental H.nana infected mice (80 laboratory-bred male Swiss albino mice). Two groups of mice were used in the study,one group received PZQ and the other received essential oil of lamiceae family. The mice received treatments sacrified after the development of the adult stage, confirmed by eggs detection in stool. PZQ resulted in significant reduction in the number of viable eggs from the 1st day of treatment while essential oil of lamiceae family resulted in significant reduction on the number of viable eggs from the 3rd day of treatment and was remarkable after the 2nd course of treatment. It was concluded that essential oil of lamiceae family have significant anti-cestodal properties that enable them to be a very effective alternative to PZQ against H. nana. |
