In vitro and in vivo activity of essential oil.

is a zoonotic parasite of worldwide importance, responsible for toxoplasmosis in homeotherms. Although treatment options are readily available, most drugs often cause serious side effects. Extracts of () have shown significant pharmacological activity against various parasites, viruses, and bacteria. In this study, we evaluated the anti- activity in vitro and in vivo of essential oil. The thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was used to assess the anti- activity and cytotoxicity of the essential oil. The presence of was observed by Giemsa staining, and the viability was evaluated by the trypan blue staining method. Furthermore, the survival rate of acutely infected mice was evaluated by intraperitoneal injecting of the essential oil (50, 100, and 200 mg kg day) for five days after infection with 2 × 10 tachyzoites. Essential oil, negative, and positive controls that showed the best toxoplasmacidal activity were assayed in triplicate at each concentration. The essential oil exhibited the highest anti- activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC) of 9.94 ± 0.38 µg, with a selectivity index of 2.463. On Vero cells, the CC of the oil was 24.49 ± 0.96 µg and exhibited a significant anti- activity. Moreover, the treatment by essential oil significantly increased the survival rate compared to untreated infected control. In conclusion, the essential oil might be a useful compound, and with more testing, it may be an excellent alternative to standard chemical drugs in the treatment of toxoplasmosis.