The
aim of this study was to investigate the anthelmintic effect of pumpkin
seeds (Cucurbita maxima) against Aspiculuris tetraptera in naturally
infected mice. For this purpose, the natural infection was determined by
the cellophane tape (on the anal region), and the centrifugal flotation
methods of stool samples in approximately 150 male Swiss albino mice
(27 to 35 g). The infected mice (29 animals) were divided into four
groups. The animals in the first (G1) and second groups (G2) received
water and ethanol extracts of pumpkin seeds orally at the dose suggested
for human for 7 days, respectively. The mice in the positive control
group (G3) were treated with ivermectin intramuscularly at a dose of 0.2
mg/kg body weight. The mice in fourth groups (G4) received the same
amount of serum physiologic orally. The mice were housed in clean
polypropylene cages and maintained under standard laboratory conditions
at an ambient temperature of 20±2°C with 45% relative humidity and a 12 h
light dark cycle. At the eighth day of the study, all animals were
killed humanly following inhalation anaesthesia. After euthanasia, the
number of parasites in the intestine was counted. Data obtained from the
treatment groups were compared using one-way ANOVA. The percentage
efficacy of the drugs was calculated. The results of the study showed
that the efficacies for water (G1) or ethanol (G2) extracts of pumpkin
seed and ivermectin were 81, 85 and 91% compared with the negative
control, respectively. These results revealed that pumpkin seed has high
anthelmintic activity against nematodes as well as its continued use in
traditional medicine for the treatment of helminthiasis.
