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Hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus were recovered from 27.59% (149/540) of camels Camelus dromedarius from a slaughterhouse in Cairo. The organ distribution of cysts was 57=38.26% in the lung, 65=43.62 % in the liver, 23=15.44 % in both liver and lungs, and 4=2.68% in the other organs such as the brain, tongue, and spleen, etc. The investigation looked at how four compounds from scorpions: chitosan, chitosan nanoparticles (Cs-NPs), venom as well as venom-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (V-CN) affect against in vitro hydatid cyst protoscoleces. Aseptically, cyst fluid protoscoleces were aspirated. Each of the aforementioned compounds was always examined in triplicates at doses of 20, 50, and 100 µg/ml for incubation periods of 30, 60, 120, and 240 min to show its scolicidal effects. Using the 0.1% eosin test, the viability of protoscoleces was determined. According to the degree of deacetylation (DDA), concentration, exposure period, and size, all compounds demonstrated statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) against the protoscoleces activity. Chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles had a scolicidal action, directly related to DDA and inversely proportional to size. The most effective scolicidal compound was venom-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, which destroyed all protoscoleces at a concentration of 100 µg/ml, after 240 min of incubation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This investigation aims to extract chitin and chitosan from the three scorpions: Leiurus quinquestriatus (LQ), Androctonus crassicauda (AC) and Androctonus amoreuxi (AA) for the first time and to determine the loading capacity and efficiency of LQ venom-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (V-CN). Methods: chitin was extracted and converted to chitosan which is converted to nanoparticles (Cs-NPs) by ball-milling technique. LQ venom was collected, characterized, and loaded on Cs-NPs via the ionic gelation method. Different techniques were used to characterize the obtained compounds. Results: the dried powder of LQ, AC, and AA contained 19.7 %, 15.4 %, and 15 % chitin, respectively. FT-IR confirmed the successful preparation of chitin, chitosan, and V-CN samples. Loading capacity reached 76.50 %, while encapsulation efficiency reached 87.98 %. Conclusion: scorpion venom was effectively loaded on chitosan samples. Its physical and compound qualities, specifically, were viewed as great for biomedical and drug applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]