Therapeutic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles encapsulated within chitosan-camphor against hydatid cysts through suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and DNA damage

Nanoencapsulation refers to the process of enclosing bioactive compounds within nanoparticles to facilitate their targeted delivery to specific sites within the body. The objective of the current study was to synthesize zinc nanoparticles encapsulated within chitosan-camphor (ZNP-CC) and to assess the in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo effects of ZNP-CC on protoscoleces (PTX) and hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus. ZNP-CC at various concentrations, particularly at 10 and 15 mg/mL, significantly reduced the viability of PTX in vitro and ex vivo by 100 % (p < 0.001). Treatment with ZNP-CC at 1/2 IC50 and IC50 notably stimulated caspase-3 (p < 0.01) and upregulated the expression levels of the DNA damage genes in PTX by > 2-fold change. Treatment with ZNP-CC led to significant reduction in the number, size, and weight of hydatid cysts in mice; whereas, caused a substantial reduction in oxidative stress and a notable increase in the activities of GPx and SOD was observed. ZNP-CC mainly in combination with AZ at 100 mg/kg, resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of TNF-α, NF-κB p65, TLR4, and IL-1β genes. The serum levels of liver function parameters following treatment with ZNP-CC at the specified doses did not show a significant difference (p > 0.05). This investigation demonstrated that ZNP-CC, especially in combination with AZ, markedly mitigated hydatid cyst infection in murine models by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation while normalizing serum levels of liver function factors. Furthermore, we observed promising scolicidal effects of ZNP-CC through the induction of apoptosis and DNA damage.