Abstract
Albizia ferruginea (Guill. & Perr.) Benth bark is used in the traditional medicine as a vermifuge. This study sought to determine the anthelmintic activity of the stem bark extract of Albizia ferruginea. The powdered A. ferruginea stem bark was extracted with ethanol. Phytochemical screening was carried out on A. ferruginea ethanol extract (AFE) and then screened for its anthelmintic property against Pheretima posthuma and Haemonchus contortus using the adult motility assay. The effect of AFE and its fractions on the anthelminthic activity of mebendazole and albendazole were also determined using the adult worm (P. posthuma) motility assay. AFE showed a dose-dependent anthelmintic activity against P. posthuma and H. contortus. The least concentration of AFE (0.5 mg/mL) paralyzed and killed P. posthuma within 272.50 ± 12.42 min and 354.50 ± 5.06 min of exposure, respectively. AFE at the least test concentration (0.14 mg/mL) caused paralysis and induced death of H. contortus, after at 63.50 ± 2.98 and 254.96 ± 2.44 min of exposure, respectively. AFE extract at 0.25 and 0.125 mg/mL increased the paralytic and helminthicidal activities of albendazole. The paralytic and helminthicidal activities of mebendazole were reduced when combined with AFE (0.25 and 0.125 mg/mL). Among the three fractions obtained from AFE, the methanol fraction showed the highest anthelmintic activity. The methanol fraction at 0.5 mg/mL caused paralysis after 69.90 ± 0.15 min and death of worm after 92.53 ± 0.74 min of exposure. The petroleum ether and ethyl acetate fractions showed relatively low anthelmintic activity. Phytochemical screening of AFE revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids, and coumarins. The results from this study show that A. ferruginea possesses anthelmintic activity which gives credence to its folkloric use.
Highlights
Helminthiasis occurs when there is an infestation of part of the body with worms
The stem bark of A. ferruginea was collected from Kwahu Asasraka (6.627092,0.692874) in the Eastern Region of Ghana in January 2018
Phytochemical screening was conducted to determine the probable phytochemicals in A. ferruginea ethanol extract (AFE)
Summary
Helminthiasis occurs when there is an infestation of part of the body with worms. These worms are normally found in the digestive tract but may burrow into the liver and sometimes other organs [1]. Helminthiasis occurs worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical countries where poverty is high [2]. The World Health Organization reports that over 1.5 billion people are infected with one or more soil-transmitted helminths, notably, hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, and Ascaris lumbricoides [3]. A quarter of the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa is infected with one or more helminths [4] with most West African countries having a prevalence greater than 70% [5]. Nematodes are the most common among all helminths [4]
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