Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 15 1 2020 03 09 76 83 Zahra HESARI Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Meysam SHARIFDINI Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Mohammad Kazem SHARIFI-YAZDI Zoonosis Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Saeedeh GHAFARI School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sara GHASEMI School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shahram MAHMOUDI Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mehdi MOHEBALI Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Bahram NIKMANESH Zoonosis Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran AND Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2020 03 09 Background: Echinococcus granulosus parasite causes a zoonotic disease which is important for public and veterinary health. Since pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita sp.) are used as traditional vermifuge in Iran, they may be a potential herbal anthelmintic. Methods: This study was designed in 2016 to evaluate the in vitro scolicidal effect of Cucurbita moschata seeds form northern part of Iran. Hydroalcoholic and petroleum ether extracts were prepared by maceration and soxhlet respectively. Both extracts with four different concentrations (100, 10, 1, 0.1 mg/ml) were incubated against protoscoleces in 5, 15, 30 and 60 min. Results: Maximum mortality was 16% with 1% hydroalcoholic extract in 60 min. The highest mortality with organic extract was 4% with 10% concentration in 60 min (P=0.015). Conclusion: Since highest mortality was 16%, the extract did not reach to LD50 (50% mortality). Therefore, the potency of the total extract is not sufficient as potential scolicidal drug. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/2838 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/2838/1014