# Black seed oil nanoemulsion containing albendazole against protoscoleces of Echinococcus granulosus: An in vivo study on C57BL/6 mice

## TL;DR

A nanoemulsion containing albendazole and black seed oil was found to be more effective and safer than traditional albendazole treatment for hydatid cysts in mice.

## Contribution

The study introduces a nanoemulsion formulation of albendazole with black seed oil that improves therapeutic efficacy and reduces toxicity in treating hydatid cysts.

## Key findings

- The ALB-NE (albendazole-loaded nanoemulsion) showed reduced cytotoxicity and improved stability over 45 days.
- Mice treated with ALB-NE had significantly smaller and fewer cysts compared to those treated with free albendazole.
- 100% survival rate was observed in mice treated with ALB-NE, compared to lower survival rates in other treatment groups.

## Abstract

Hydatid cysts are typically treated with albendazole. Nevertheless, this drug has side effects and limited bioavailability. In this study, we aimed to explore a nanoemulsion of black seed oil to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of albendazole in mice with hydatid cysts.

The size of the prepared nanoemulsions was characterized using a Zetasizer analyzer. Additionally, the stability of the nanoemulsions was assessed after 45 days. MTT assay was used to compare the cytotoxicity of free albendazole, nanoemulsion containing albendazole, and nanoemulsion without albendazole. Furthermore, infected mice were treated with these preparations, euthanized, and subjected to autopsy examination. Cysts obtained from mice were examined for histopathological features.

ALB-NE (albendazole-loaded nanoemulsion) DLS results were obtained from black seed oil. Freshly prepared ALB-NE showed (d50 = 170 nm), PDI: 0.323, ALB-NE after 45 days storage at 25 ºC were (d50 = 92.4 nm), and ALB-NE after 45 days storage at 45 ºC revealed (d50 = 118 nm). The cytotoxicity of albendazole was reduced when loaded into the nanoemulsion. Moreover, the group treated with nanoemulsion containing albendazole showed a significant decrease in size and number of cysts compared to those receiving free albendazole or nanoemulsion without the drug. Additionally, after 60 days, the nanoemulsion containing albendazole showed 100% survival, while the survival rate was 50% for free albendazole, 75% for nanoemulsion without albendazole, and 37.5% for PBS.

The nanoemulsion containing albendazole can be a promising treatment for hydatid cysts.