Title:Biosynthesized Nanoparticles as Potential Drug Candidates for the Treatment of Cystic Echinococcosis: A Systematic Review
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
Author(s): Maryam Hataminejad, Tooran Nayeri, Somayyeh Ahmadi, Davood Anvari, Hakim Azizi, Shirzad Gholami and Bahman Rahimi Esboei*
Affiliation:
- Department
of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- Toxoplasmosis
Research Center, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari,
Iran
Keywords:
Hydatid cyst, cystic echinococcosis, protoscoleces, nanomedicine, biosynthesis, nanoparticle.
Abstract:
Introduction: Echinococcus granulosus is the etiological agent of cystic echinococcosis
(CE), a tropical disease that is widely distributed yet often overlooked. As a major zoonotic
parasitic disease, it impacts both humans and animals. Given the lack of a viable vaccine,
therapy remains the sole preventive option for CE. This systematic review aims to consolidate
existing research on biosynthesized nanoparticles as potential drugs for treating hydatid cyst
protoscoleces in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo.
Methods: This study was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive global
search was performed without date restrictions up to October 15th, 2024, using Google Scholar
and six English-language databases, EMBASE, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and
Web of Science, to gather all relevant articles. The keywords used in the search were "protoscolicidal",
"scolicidal", "protoscolex", "scolex", "nanoparticle", "nanomedicine", "nanomaterial",
"green synthesis", "biosynthesis", "hydatid cyst", "cystic echinococcosis", and "Echinococcus
granulosus".
Results: Out of the 2185 studies considered, this systematic review included twenty. Of these,
thirteen (65%) were conducted in vitro, three (15%) were in vitro/ex vivo, two (10%) were in
vivo, one (5%) was in vitro/ex vivo/in vivo, and one (5%) was in vitro/in vivo. The results indicated
that metal nanoparticles, including silver, gold, zinc, copper, and selenium (n = 13, 65%),
were the most commonly used biosynthesized nanoparticles in the study. Metal oxide nanoparticles,
such as zinc oxide, copper oxide, nickel oxide, and silver-zinc oxide, were the next most
frequent (n = 6, 30%). Lastly, a single study (n = 1, 5%) utilized polymeric nanoparticles, specifically
chitosan-based ones.
Conclusion: This systematic review highlights the promising potential of biosynthesized nanoparticles
as protoscolicidal agents against E. granulosus. The analysis of 20 studies revealed a
predominant focus on metal nanoparticles, particularly silver, gold, zinc, copper, and selenium,
which exhibited notable efficacy across in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo settings. The findings emphasize
the necessity of exploring diverse nanoparticle types, such as metal oxides and polymeric
nanoparticles, to enhance treatment strategies for this neglected zoonotic disease.
