investigation of the scolicidal effects of oak gall extract and its nanoparticles on protoscolices of hydatid cysts under in vitro conditions

Hydatid cyst disease, caused by the parasite echinococcus granulosus, is highly prevalent in livestock-breeding areas (1). the primary treatment for this disease involves surgery, often accompanied by the use of protoscolecidal agents to reduce the risk of recurrence (2). due to concerns about side effects and drug residues, the use of medicinal plants and novel methods has gained increasing attention (3). in this study, hydatid cyst samples were collected from a slaughterhouse in sanandaj and prepared for protoscoleces extraction and experimentation in the parasitology laboratory. in this study, the scolicidal effects of five different concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100%) of crude and nano-sized sumac extracts were evaluated against live protoscoleces at 10, 30, 60, and 120 min. the results showed that the viability of protoscoleces was decreased with increasing both concentration and exposure time. the highest number of live protoscoleces was observed at 10 min, while the lowest number was observed at 60 min. moreover, the number of protoscoleces was decreased significantly with increasing concentration (p < 0.001). based on these findings, nano-oak gall could be considered an effective compound in eliminating viable protoscoleces and could be used as a therapeutic option alongside surgery to reduce the risk of hydatid cyst recurrence.