Background: Parasites are among the most widespread disorders affecting various organisms. The worm Hymenolepis nana is a common intestinal parasite of Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus, widely dispersed. The well-being of laboratory mice is essential for the effectiveness of research that produces trustworthy outcomes. The study aims to investigate the impact that the Laurus nobilis extract has on the worm Hymenolepis nana eggs.
Methods: The eggs were divided into six groups, with each group consisting of 500 eggs: the control group. Treatment groups (2, 3, 4, and 5) were with 25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/ml of L. nobilis. Group 6 received treatment with the reference drug Albendazole at a concentration of 1 ml/ml. The samples were incubated at 28°C for 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. At the conclusion of each incubation duration, 0.5 µL of the egg extract suspension was combined with 0.5 µL of 0.1% eosin dye, and the mixture was checked by a light microscope to assess viability.
Result: After 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours of incubation in a test tube, 89% and 93% of the eggs were killed with the highest concentrations of L. nobilis (200 µg/ml) and albendazole (10 µl/ml), respectively. Dead eggs turned red. At the same time, the control group lasted for long hours, and viable eggs retained their color. It was found that there were statistically significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) between the concentrations and the reference treatment (P ≤ 0.01) and between the different concentrations of the extract (µg/ml 25, 50, 100).
Conclusion: The study proved that plant extracts are effective drugs for parasitic diseases as they inhibition the eggs of tapeworms (non-viable), and their derivatives can be used in the manufacture of drugs and enhance biological activity.