BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Synthetic antiparasitic medications are often associated with drug resistance and adverse side effects. In traditional medicine, Ferula asafoetida has been widely used in the treatment of parasitic infections, and various studies have confirmed the anti-leishmanial, anti-Giardia, and antifungal properties of this medicinal herb. This study aimed to evaluate the antiparasitic effects of the methanol extract of asafoetida.

METHODS: This experimental study was conducted on 100 male rats equally divided into 10 groups. To induce infection, animals were fed the eggs of nematode Syphacia obvelata and cestode Hymenolepis nana via gavage. Animals in groups one and two were considered as control subjects for cestode and nematode, respectively and received no medications. The third group was administered with a standard anticestodal dose of praziquantel (25 mg/kg), and the fourth group was administered with a standard antinematodal dose of piperazine (20 mg/kg). Infected animals in experimental groups five, six and seven received treatment with 2.5%, 5% and 10% concentrations of asafoetida methanol extract, respectively. Moreover, induction of nematode infection was performed on the animals of experimental groups 8, 9 and 10, which were administered with 2.5%, 5% and 10% concentrations of asafoetida methanol extract, respectively. Treatment of the animals continued for two weeks. Number of parasite eggs in the fecal samples was determined at the end of the first and second week of treatment. After the intervention, total number of the intestinal parasites was calculated and assessed in the experimental groups.

FINDINGS: In the first week of treatment, no statistically significant difference was observed between the number of Syphacia obvelata eggs in rats administered with the methanol extract of asafoetida even at the highest concentration compared to control subjects (166.4±3.11 vs. 235±9.5). Similarly, treatment of nematode infection with the methanol extract of asafoetida could not decrease the number of eggs and parasites by the end of the second week of treatment (P>0.05). However, rats with cestode infection receiving different concentrations of asafoetida extract showed a significant reduction in the number of eggs and parasites compared to control subjects (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the methanol extract of Ferula asafoetida had no antinematode properties in vitro, while it exhibited anticestode effects on laboratory animals with induced parasitic infection