Zataria Multiflora bois as an auspicious therapeutic approach against Echinococcus granulosus: Current status and future perspectives.

Hydatidosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus is a major zoonotic diseases. In addition to imposing heavy economic losses, the disease is a public health problem worldwide. The larval stage of the parasite (hydatid cyst) is formed in a wide range of domestic, wild and human beings as intermediate hosts. On the other, its recurrence has been reported anywhere as a reemerging disease. Although the cysts have some evading mechanisms, both human TH1 and TH2 cells subsets are stimulated. Because of increasing resistance and adverse effects of medications such as abnormalities of liver and other organs functions and abdominal pain, seeking alternative therapeutic approaches to be inexpensive, easy available, with low side effects and toxicity seems essential. However, the lack of information on the social and economic welfares of herbal medicines for the industrial scale application is a limitation. Zataria Multiflora bois (ZMB) has exhibited huge advantages and tremendous protoscolicidal effects as demonstrated by numerous studies and its combination therapies with anti-parasitic drugs have exerted desirable outcomes in vitro and in vivo. Noticeably, the compound confers negligible side effects or toxicity even at high concentrations. ZMB has exhibited promising inhibitory effects against hydatid cyst, particularly when combined with chemical drugs and in formulations of nanoemulsions. Its immunomodulatory effects include increase of nitric oxide production (NO) and protection of hepatic cells (Kupffer cells, fat-storing cells, and endothelial cells), enhancement of macrophages and T cells and increase of cytokines production. This study aimed at assessment of ZMB traits for application against hydatid cyst protoscolices.