Allium Sativum Methanolic Extract (garlic) Improves Therapeutic Efficacy of Albendazole Against Hydatid Cyst: Study.

After gas chromatography and mass spectrometry of prepared methanolic extract of , 40 laboratory BALB/c mice were infected intraperitoneally by injection of 1,500 viable protoscoleces. Five months after infection, the infected mice were allocated into four treatment groups, including 1- Albendazole (100 mg/kg); 2- methanolic extract (10 mL/L); 3- methanolic extract (10 mL/L) + Albendazole (50 mg /kg); and 4- untreated control group. After 30 days of daily treatment, total number and weight of cysts and size of the largest cyst as well as blood serum bilirubin and liver enzymes were compared between the mice of different groups.The total number and weight of cysts and size of the largest cyst were significantly lower in treated groups 10 mL/L + Albendazole 50 and Albendazole 100 in comparison to those of the control group ( < 0.05).The activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzyme and bilirubin concentration were significantly lower in the mice treated with 10 mL/L and 10 mL/L + Albendazole 50, when compared to the control group. In addition, bilirubin concentration revealed significant decrease in 10 mL/L and 10 mL/L + Albendazole 50 groups, when compared to the Albendazole group. In conclusion, administration of 10 mL/L improved the anti-hydatidosis activity of Albendazole 50 mg /kg, due to parasitological effects similar to Albendazole 100 mg /kg but less hepatotoxic effects.