ABSTRACT
A new drug derived from botanical source myrrh was found to possess high therapeutic efficacy as a schistosomicidal, fasciolicidal and cestodicidal drug. However, no work was conducted to evaluate the effect of myrrh extract on Fasciola adult worms in vitro. To evaluate the fasciolicidal activity of myrrh extract at different concentrations and to detect the ultrastructural tegumental changes of adult Fasciola worms upon their exposure to different concentrations of myrrh extract using scanning electron microscopy [SEM]. Viable Fasciola worms were collected from the liver of slaughtered cows. They were transferred to a culture medium containing different concentrations of myrrh extract making the experimental groups. Two control groups were included; worms incubated in culture medium only and worms incubated in culture medium containing the drug solvent [cremophor EL]. Worms were observed at 1, 3 and 24 h after exposure and the number of dead worms was calculated, After 24 hours incubation, 2 adult worms from each group were processed for SEM. The present study indicated that myrrh extract had a rapid and severe effect on Fasciola worms in vitro, with widespread disruption to their tegument present after 24 h incubation in the drug concentrations used. The effect of myrrh extract was both time and dose dependent