Could beta-myrcene be an alternative to albendazole for the treatment of experimental cystic echinococcosis?

JULIA FABBRI; MAGGIORE MARINA; PENSEL PATRICIA; ALBANI CLARA MARÍA; DENEGRI GUILLERMO; ELISSONDO CELINA

PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH

SPRINGER

Año: 2018

0932-0113

Echinococcus granulosus causes hydatidosis or cystic echinococcosis in humans and livestock. In humans, thisdisease can be managed with surgery, percutaneous treatment, chemotherapy and/or observation. The chemotherapeuticagents used and approved for treatment of hydatidosis are benzimidazoles. Because of the difficultiesin achieving successful treatment, considerable efforts have been made to find new natural compoundsagainst hydatid disease. Beta-myrcene is a monoterpene presented in the essential oils of different plants. It is theprincipal component of essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary). The goal of the present study was toevaluate the in vitro effects of beta-myrcene against germinal cells, protoscoleces and murine cyst of E. granulosus,as well also, investigate its chemoprophylactic activity in a murine model of cystic echinococcosis. For thein vitro assays, the parasites were incubated with beta-myrcene at 10, 5 and 1 μg/mL. The treatments were doseand time-dependent, and consistent with the observed morphological alterations. In the chemoprophylacticefficacy study, the effect of beta-myrcene was similar to albendazole, the reference drug for human echinococcosistreatment.