In-vitro and In-vivo Anthelmintic Effects of Gynura angulosa (Compositae) Leaf Extract on Hymenolepis diminuta, a Zoonotic Tapeworm

Abstract

The leaves of Gynura angulosa DC (Compositae) have been widely used in the indigenous system of medicine of Naga tribes in India for curing intestinal-helminth infections. In this study, the anthelmintic effects of G. angulosa leaf extract were investigated in-vitro and in-vivo against Hymenolepis diminuta, a zoonotic tapeworm species. In in-vitro study, the anthelmintic effects of extract were judged on the basis of paralysis and mortality of test worms, at 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/ml concentrations, while in in-vivo study, the leaf extract was tested at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses against experimentally induced H. diminuta infections in rats. The results revealed that G. angulosa leaf extract possesses dose-dependent anthelmintic effects. In in-vitro study, at 40 mg/kg concentration, the leaf extract showed mortality of test worms in as early as 2.92 h. In in-vivo study, the effects of extract were found to be more prominent against the adult stage than the larval stage of test parasite. Against the adult worm, the 800 mg/kg dose of extract, given for 5 days, resulted into 78.60 % reduction in eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) counts and 70.75 % reduction in worm counts of treated animals. In both the assays, the effects of extract were found to be quite comparable with that of a reference anthelmintic drug, praziquantel. These results prove that G. angulosa leaves possesses significant anthelmintic properties. Therefore, this plant may be useful in the treatment of intestinal helminth infections and could also be a potential source of new anthelmintic compound.