In-vitro anthelmintic activity of seeds of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. against Pheretima Posthuma

Abstract

Among the most common infections of digestive system in human beings are helminth infections. In developing countries, they pose a large threat to the society. Such parasitic diseases cause severe morbidity, including lymphatic filariasis, onchoserciasis and schistosomiasis. Different extracts of the plant material were tested against adult Indian earthworms Pheretima posthuma (Pheritimidae) as test worms. Various concentrations (10, 25 and 50 mg/ml) of all extracts were tested and results were expressed in terms of time for paralysis and time for death of worms. Piperazine citrate (10 mg/ml) was used as the standard reference drug. Results showed that the aqueous extract is more potent as compared to other extracts as it took less time to cause paralysis and death of the earthworms as compared to standard reference drug. Key words: Anthelmintic activity, Pheretima posthuma, piperazine citrate, Zanthoxylum armatum