Drug Albendazole Research Articles

Combinational Effect of Andrographis paniculata, Azadirachta indica and Carica papaya latex for Anthelmintic Potential on Pontoscolex corethrurus

The present study was done with the aim to screen the anthelmintic activity of decoction containing Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Carica papaya latex using Pontoscolex corethrurus. The different concentrations (40%, 60% and 80%) of decoction were evaluated for determining the time of paralysis and the time of death of earthworms. Albendazole (10mg/ml) used as standard reference and normal saline as control. The data of the study revealed that the decoction at 80% concentration showed better anthelmintic activity compared to standard drug Albendazole.

Assessing the efficacy of albendazole against hookworm in Vietnam using quantitative PCR and sodium nitrate flotation.

Preventive chemotherapy (PC), consisting of the regular distribution of anthelmintics to populations or groups of populations at risk, is the primary tool used to control soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. This strategy, whilst cost-effective, raises the concern of potential emergence of drug resistance. The efficacy of anthelmintics against STH infections is measured using cure rate (CR) and egg reduction rate (ERR), using microscopy-based techniques such as the Kato-Katz thick smear. However, Kato-Katz has low sensitivity, especially for low-intensity infections, and requires fresh samples that need to be processed quickly. Realtime quantitative PCR (qPCR), which is more sensitive, is emerging as a "gold standard" for STH diagnostics given its higher sensitivity (important in low prevalence settings) and ability to differentiate hookworm species, while sodium nitrate flotation (SNF) may provide a low-cost more sensitive and practical alternative to Kato-Katz in the field. In this study, we examined the efficacy of a locally manufactured brand of albendazole 400 mg ("Alzental") against hookworm in Đắk Lắk province, Vietnam, using both qPCR and SNF. For qPCR, formulae to convert qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) values into eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) were utilised to determine efficacy calculations, and these values directly compared with efficacy values generated using SNF. Factors associated with CR and ERR were examined, and Alzental tablet quality was assessed by comparing with an Australian TGA-approved equivalent "Eskazole" tablet. We observed a CR and ERR of 64.9% and 87.5% respectively using qPCR, and 68.4% and 67.6% respectively using SNF. The tablet composition of Alzental was comparable to Eskazole in terms of active albendazole drug concentration with no evidence of impurities. This study demonstrates that the efficacy of Alzental against hookworm is within the range of previously reported studies for albendazole 400 mg. The study also demonstrates the value of qPCR and SNF as alternatives to standard Kato-Katz methodology for assessment of anthelmintic efficacy.

In vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Three Vegetative Herbs

Published on: October 2022Journal of Young Pharmacists, 2022; 14(4):394-397Original Article | doi:10.5530/jyp.2022.14.79 Authors:Sonia Singla*, Satvinder Kaur, Anuja Chopra, Anu Jindal, Divneet Kaur, Navpreet KaurDepartment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Guru Hargobind Singh Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Gurusar Sadhar, Ludhiana, Punjab, INDIA. Abstract:Background: Parasitic infections have become a serious threat to the lives of human beings and animals and helminthiasis is the major parasitic infection. A wide range of anthelmintic agents have been used to treat these parasitic infections. Synthetic anthelmintic has various limitations like resistance. So, the major practical way of developing efficacious and cheaper anthelmintics is to consider herbal plants. Materials and Methods: The three plants selected in the study are Citrus medica, Coleus aromaticus and Murraya koenigii, belonging to the family Rutaceae, Lamiaceae and Rutaceae respectively. Traditionally, all these plants are used as vermicides. The main goal of the study was to examine the anthelmintic activity of these three plants using earthworms (Pheretima posthuma). 50% Hydroethanolic extracts of the three plants at different concentrations (20, 50, 80 mg/ml) showed dose-dependent anthelmintic response. Results: At concentrations of 20, 50, 80 mg/ml, all three plant extracts caused paralysis at 16.4, 28.33, 28.17, 11.35, 23.17, 22.4, 9.1, 19.33, 19.21 min. and death at 60.1, 84.56, 40.06, 46.08, 67.06, 37.42, 25.54, 56.56, 29.35 min. respectively. Albendazole was used as a reference standard at three different concentrations 20, 50, 80 mg/ml and caused paralysis at 40.37, 36.12, 24.44 min and death at 50.1, 39, 30.49 min. Conclusion: After analysing results, it was concluded that the three plants possess effective anthelmintic activity when compared with standard drug Albendazole and Citrus medica was found to be much more effective than all.Keywords: Citrus medica, Coleus aromaticus, Murraya koenigii, Anthelmintic activity, Albendazole.

Comparitive Invitro Antihelmintic Activity of Individual and Combined Leaf Extracts (Syzygium cumini and Achras zapota) Against Pheritima Posthuma

Syzygium cumini and Achras zapota leaves were easily available and commonly used in our day –to-day life. The present study aimed at the in-vitro comparative study of anthelmintic activity of aqueous extracts of leaves of Syzygium cumini, Achras zapota and mixed. The fruits were extracted separately with distilled water by maceration method .The various concentrations of the extract (50,100, 200mg/ml) respectively were screened for their anthelmintic activity using Pheritima posthuma. The activity was comparable with the standard drug albendazole. When the concentrations of the extract are increased, a gradual increase in anthelmintic activity is observed. The study involved the determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Aqueous extract of Syzygium cumini, Achras zapota and mixed showed anthelmintic activity but mixed extract was more efficient anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworms. The data were found statistically significant by using one way ANOVA (P< 0.0001).

Highly sensitive electro-oxidative voltammetric determination of anthelmintic drug albendazole using porous graphitic carbon nitride sensor infused with cationic micellar solution

A sensitive and novel electrochemical senser, acetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-immobilized nitrogen rich g-C3N4 nanosheet modified carbon paste electrode was developed, for the electrochemical investigation of the anthelmintic drug Albendazole (ABZ) using voltammetric tools like cyclic and square wave voltammetry. The results showed that the modified carbon paste electrode exhibited remarkable electro-catalytic action towards the electrochemical oxidation of ABZ in a phosphate buffer solution at pH 3 compared to bare carbon paste electrode. The electrode material was characterized by CV, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A highly sensitive square wave voltammetric technique was developed for the determination of ABZ, at a trace level with great precision and accuracy, good limit of detection (LOD) 0.01 µM and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.036 µM, in the concentration range of 0.2–10 µM. This approach can be used in pharmaceutical formulations for clinical diagnosis, quality assurance, and drug screening. In addition, this technique is also implemented for the assessment of ABZ in water samples and biological samples like urine and blood plasma.

A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY: ANALYSIS OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze various parameters such as admission type, demographics, type of reaction, organ system classification, drugs involved, action is taken, reaction outcome, causality assessment, severity assessment, and the preventability of Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in pediatric patients. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted during the period of September 2017 to June 2020 (34 months) at the ADR monitoring center, Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan. All spontaneously reported ADRs were evaluated using various parameters such as type of reaction, causality assessment, preventability, and severity. Results: In the present study, 72 (7.27%) ADRs were reported in relation to 65 pediatric patients. In this study, more ADRs were reported in male (53.85%) as compared to female (46.15%) pediatric patients. The majority of ADRs were considered type B (63.89%), probable (87.5%), moderate (51.39%), and definitely preventable (88.89%) in nature. The majority of ADRs were reported due to antimicrobial classes of drugs, including anthelmintic drug (Albendazole), followed by glycopeptide antibiotic (Vancomycin) and third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics (Ceftriaxone, Cefotaxime, and Cefixime). The organ systems most commonly affected were skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders (47.22%), followed by general disorders and administration site conditions (20.83%) and gastrointestinal disorders (16.67%). Conclusion: The present study 30 different types of suspected ADRs that were reported with multiple frequencies, with included 34 different categories of drugs and combinations of drugs. The majority of patients recovered, with associated ADR, after necessary medical intervention and management. Our purpose is to minimize the incidence rate of ADRs in the pediatric population.

In Vivo Therapeutic Effect of Some Medicinal Plants' Methanolic Extracts on the Growth and Development of Secondary Hydatid Cyst Infection.

The current study aimed to explore the in vivo therapeutic effects of the methanolic extracts of Citrullus colocynthis, Ruta graveolens, and Peganum harmala against hydatid cyst secondary infection. Aerial parts of P. harmala and R. graveolens, including leaves and stems, and seeds of C. colocynthis were collected and extracted using absolute methanol. Rats that are infected with secondary infection of hydatid cysts were treated orally and intraperitoneally according to the determined lethal doses for 30days. Histological, hematological, and biochemical investigations were done 8months after the infection. Compared to Albendazole drug, C. colocynthis, and P. harmala, the methanol extract of R. graveolens showed higher and significant (P < 0.05) therapeutic effects on the secondary hydatid cysts growth. Those effects were represented by the reduction in the cysts' number, size, and weight; as well as the significant changes (P < 0.05) in values of hematological and biochemical parameters, the elevation of IFN-γ levels, and the decline of IL-10 and IL-4 cytokines, compared to the negative control group in both routes of treatment (oral and IP). Moreover, the histological sections showed that R. graveolens has a clear damaging effect on the hydatid cysts GL in the infected rats represented by the detachment of GL from LL and AL. This study can open an avenue to find new therapeutics for secondary hydatid cyst infections using the studied plant extracts, especially the extract of R. graveolens.

Invitro Antihelmintic Activity of Aqueous Seed Extract of Syzygium cumini against Indian Earthworms

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels, commonly known as Jamun, is a widely distributed forest tree in India and other tropical and sub tropical regions of the world. The tree has a great economic importance since most of the parts like the bark, leaves, seed and fruits are used as an alternative medicine to treat various diseases. The present study aimed at the in-vitro anthelmintic activity of aqueous fruit seed extract of Syzygium cumini. The fruit seeds were extracted separately with distilled water by maceration method .The various concentrations of the extract (50,100, 200,300,400mg/ml) respectively were screened for their anthelmintic activity using Pheritima posthuma. The activity was comparable with the standard drug albendazole. When the concentrations of the extract are increased, a gradual increase in anthelmintic activity is observed. The study involved the determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Aqueous fruit seed extract of Syzygium cumini showed anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworms. The data were found statistically significant by using one way ANOVA (P&lt; 0.001).

Invitro Antihelmintic Activity of Individual and Combined Leaf Extracts (Punica granatum and Psidium guajava) Against Pheritima Posthuma

Punica granatum and Psidium guajava leaves were easily available and commonly used in our day –to-day life. The present study aimed at the in-vitro comparative study of anthelmintic activity of aqueous extracts of leaves of Punica granatum, Psidium guajava and mixed. The fruits were extracted separately with distilled water by maceration method .The various concentrations of the extract (50,100, 200mg/ml) respectively were screened for their anthelmintic activity using Pheritima posthuma. The activity was comparable with the standard drug albendazole. When the concentrations of the extract are increased, a gradual increase in anthelmintic activity is observed. The study involved the determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Aqueous extract of Punica granatum, Psidium guajava and mixed showed anthelmintic activity but mixed extract was more efficient anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworms. The data were found statistically significant by using one way ANOVA (P&lt; 0.001).

Lymphatic filarial serum proteome profiling for identification and characterization of diagnostic biomarkers.

Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) affects more than 863 million people in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, causing high morbidity and long illnesses leading to social exclusion and loss of wages. A combination of drugs Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine citrate and Albendazole is recommended by WHO to accelerate the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). To assess the outcome of GPELF, to re-evaluate and to formulate further strategies there is an imperative need for high quality diagnostic markers. This study was undertaken to identify Lymphatic Filarial biomarkers which can detect LF infections in asymptomatic cases and would also serve as indicators for differentiating among different clinical stages of the disease. A combination of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), MMP zymography, SDS-PAGE, classical 2DE along with MALDI-TOF/MS was done to identify LF biomarkers from serum samples of different stages of LF patients. FT-IR spectroscopy coupled with univariate and multivariate analysis of LF serum samples, revealed significant differences in peak intensity at 3300, 2950, 1645, 1540 and 1448 cm-1 (p<0.05). The proteomics analysis results showed that various proteins were differentially expressed (p<0.05), including C-reactive protein, α-1-antitrypsin, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D like, apolipoproteins A-I and A-IV in different LF clinical stages. Functional pathway analysis suggested the involvement of differentially expressed proteins in vital physiological pathways like acute phase response, hemostasis, complement and coagulation cascades. Furthermore, the differentiation between different stages of LF cases and biomarkers identified in this study clearly demonstrates the potential of the human serum profiling approach for LF detection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of comparative human serum profiling in different categories of LF patients.

Interactions of Caenorhabditis elegans β-tubulins with the microtubule inhibitor and anthelmintic drug albendazole.

Parasitic nematodes are major human and agricultural pests, and benzimidazoles are amongst the most important broad-spectrum anthelmintic drug class used for their control. Benzimidazole resistance is now widespread in many species of parasitic nematodes in livestock globally and an emerging concern for the sustainable control of human soil-transmitted helminths. β-tubulin is the major benzimidazole target, although other genes may influence resistance. Among the 6 Caenorhabditis elegans β-tubulin genes, loss of ben-1 causes resistance without other apparent defects. Here, we explored the genetics of C. elegans β-tubulin genes in relation to the response to the benzimidazole derivative albendazole. The most highly expressed β-tubulin isotypes, encoded by tbb-1 and tbb-2, were known to be redundant with each other for viability, and their products are predicted not to bind benzimidazoles. We found that tbb-2 mutants, and to a lesser extent tbb-1 mutants, were hypersensitive to albendazole. The double mutant tbb-2 ben-1 is uncoordinated and short, resembling the wild type exposed to albendazole, but the tbb-1 ben-1 double mutant did not show the same phenotypes. These results suggest that tbb-2 is a modifier of albendazole sensitivity. To better understand how BEN-1 mutates to cause benzimidazole resistance, we isolated mutants resistant to albendazole and found that 15 of 16 mutations occurred in the ben-1 coding region. Mutations ranged from likely nulls to hypomorphs, and several corresponded to residues that cause resistance in other organisms. Null alleles of ben-1 are albendazole-resistant and BEN-1 shows high sequence identity with tubulins from other organisms, suggesting that many amino acid changes could cause resistance. However, our results suggest that missense mutations conferring resistance are not evenly distributed across all possible conserved sites. Independent of their roles in benzimidazole resistance, tbb-1 and tbb-2 may have specialized functions as null mutants of tbb-1 or tbb-2 were cold or heat sensitive, respectively.

Assessment of Anthelmintic Activity and in silico Study of Phytoconstituents in Decaschistia crotonifolia Wight &amp; Arn. Root Extract

Published on:June 2022Journal of Young Pharmacists, 2022; 14(2):169-173Original Article | doi:10.5530/jyp.2022.14.32 Authors: Raveesha Peeriga*, Keerthi Priyanka Adarapu, Kavya Sri Sanivarapu, Jyothsna Kanumuri, Rikith Swamy Akunuri, Lakshmana Rao Atmakuri Department of Pharmacognosy, V. V. Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gudlavalleru, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA. Abstract: Background: Worm infections in developing countries were reported high. Phytoconstituents have been a vital role for the treatment of many ailments. The current study was aimed assess for anthelmintic activity of different root extracts of Decaschistia crotonifolia belongs to the family Ebanaceae against Pheretima posthuma. Further Insilico study was carried out for phytocompounds present in Dechaschistia. Methods: The chloroform, ethylacetate and ethanol extract of Decaschistia crotonifolia were considered for the study of anthelmintic property on earthworms at concentrations 20 mg/ml, 40 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml. During this study, the parameters paralysis time and Death Time of adult Indian earthworms was observed. As a standard and control Albendazole 10 mg/ml and 2% Tween 80 in distilled water were taken respectively. Results: The study resulted that ethanolic extract was significant when compared with the Albendazole 10 mg/ml. Docking studies revealed all phytocompounds in Dechaschistia shown binding affinity, however comparatively scopoletin and stigmasterol had shown a good binding affinitiy about -7.7 Kcal/mol and -7.6 Kcal/mol compared to standard drug Albendazole which was shown about -8.7 Kcal/mol. Conclusion: The study revealed that the ethanol extract of Decaschistia crotonifolia at a concentration of 60mg/ml exhibited a stronger anthelmintic property compared to Albendazole 10mg/ml. A dose dependent anthelmintic activity is exerted by all the extracts in an ascending manner Chloroform<Ethyl acetate<Ethanol. These observations were made evidenced by docking studies of phytocompounds in Dechaschistia as the phytocompounds were shown excellent docking score when compared with standard Albendazole. Key words: Decaschistia crotonifolia Wight and Arn., Ebanaceae, Pheretima and Anthelmintic, Docking, Lipinski rule.

Efficacy of drugs against clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, and Opisthorchis felineus are the three most important human liver fluke species in the Opisthorchiidae family, infecting approximately 25 million people worldwide. Drug treatment is needed to control morbidity and is also useful in lowering transmission. Several drugs used in various regimens are available to treat these infections, but their comparative efficacy is uncertain. We aimed to compare the efficacy in terms of cure rate and egg reduction rate of currently registered drugs against human liver fluke infection. We conducted a systematic review using readily available electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, KoreaMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data) without language restrictions from inception until June 29, 2021. Clinical trials with pairwise comparison of drugs (praziquantel, albendazole, mebendazole, tribendimidine, or combinations of these drugs) against C sinensis, O viverrini, and O felineus were eligible, including trials comparing these drugs or their combinations with placebo. We compared efficacy in terms of cure rate by network meta-analysis. We conducted mixed binomial regression analyses for each species to derive predicted median cure rates for each drug regimen. The models included treatment and infection intensity as fixed factors, year of publication as covariate, and random effects of the different studies assumed to be normally distributed. We also assessed the quality of the included studies. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018109232). Overall, 26 trials from 25 studies were included, of which 18 involved C sinensis, seven studied O viverrini, and one focused on O felineus. These trials included a total of 3340 participants. The two long-term treatment courses against C sinensis infection using 400 mg of albendazole (400 mg twice a day for 5 days and 400 mg twice a day for 7 days) resulted in cure rates of 100%, while two other multiple-dose regimens of albendazole resulted in high predicted cure rates: 300 mg twice a day for 5 days (93·9% [95% CI 49·6-99·6]) and 400 mg twice a day for 3 days (91·0% [50·9-99·0]). The WHO-recommended praziquantel regimen (25 mg/kg three times a day for 2 days) also showed a high predicted cure rate (98·5% [85·4-99·9]) in C sinensis infection, and predicted cure rates were above 90% for several other multiple-dose praziquantel regimens, including 20 mg/kg three times a day for 3 days (97·6% [74·7-99·8]), 14 mg/kg three times a day for 5 days (93·9% [44·8-99·7]), and 20 mg/kg twice a day for 3 days (91·0% [50·9-99·0]). In O viverrini infection, the regimen of 50 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg of praziquantel given in a single day showed the highest predicted cure rate (93·8% [85·7-97·5]), while a single dose of 50 mg/kg praziquantel also resulted in a high predicted cure rate (92·1% [64·9-98·6]). The single dose of 400 mg tribendimidine showed a high predicted cure rate of 89·8% (77·5-95·8). A low quality of evidence was demonstrated in most studies, especially those published before 2000. Selection bias due to poor random sequence generation and allocation concealment was high, and performance and detection biases were frequently unreported. Praziquantel shows high efficacy against clonorchiasis and opisthorchiasis. Tribendimidine might serve as a treatment alternative and warrants further investigation. Although albendazole is efficacious when long treatment schedules (5 days or 7 days) are applied, limited size of studies and high risk of bias affect the interpretation of results. More high-quality studies are needed to promote the establishment of treatment guidelines for human liver fluke infection. Fourth Round of Three-Year Public Health Action Plan (2015-2017; Shanghai, China) and Swiss National Science Foundation.

Pulmonary hydatid cyst mimicking lung tumor in a heavy smoker patient- Uniportal VATS management.

Introduction and importanceHuman infection with E. granulosus leads to the development of one or more hydatid cysts located most often in the liver and lungs. However, radiologically and clinically, analysis of atypical or complicated pulmonary hydatid cysts may resemble other types of malignancies.Case presentationHere, we present a 65-year-old man presented with chest pain, loss of appetite, and weight loss for 6 months' duration. The patient was surgically treated for a pulmonary hydatid cyst that mimicked a lung tumor clinically and radiologically. The patient underwent surgery using a uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS) approach. The patient was put on an anti-helminthic drug (Albendazole table 400 mg twice daily for 21 days and 14 days off). He will continue for 3 cycles on this schedule.DiscussionThe diagnosis of pulmonary hydatid cyst depends mainly on the imaging procedures supported by appropriate serology and often histopathology. The treatment of choice for the pulmonary hydatid cyst is surgical resection. The uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UVATS) method has been proven to be safe and effective around globally. This includes a shorter surgery time, less pain, less chest tube drainage, and less need for painkillers after the surgery.ConclusionIn this report, we present a case of a radiologically and clinically pulmonary hydatid cyst mimicking a lung tumor. In the differential diagnosis of a lung tumor, a pulmonary hydatid cyst should be considered particularly in endemic regions.

Evaluation of the Effects of Bunium persicum and Albendazole on Killing Hydatid Cyst Protoscolices In Vitro

Objectives: Hydatidosis is a parasitic disease of zoonoses and the best treatment for this parasitic disease is cryosurgery. From time immemorial, many protoscolice-destroying chemicals have been used to inhibit the distribution of protoscolices within the cyst during surgery. However, the side effects of chemical compounds and medicinal plants should always be considered. Due to the antiparasitic properties of Bunium persicum (Boiss), this study was performed to evaluate and compare the effects of B. persicum (Boiss) essential oil and albendazole on protoscolices inside hydatid cyst in vitro. Materials and Methods: In this study, the essential oil used from the desired plant seeds was prepared. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to determine its components. Hydatid cyst protoscolices were extracted from hydatid cyst-infected livers and exposed to B. persicum (Boiss) (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/mL) for 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes, respectively. The viability of protoscolices was measured by the effect of plant essential oil by eosin staining. Albendazole was also used as an effective antiparasitic drug in this study. Results: The amount of essential oil protoscolices at 2.5 μg/mL in 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes was 48.5%, 68.2%, 79.5%, and 96.1%, respectively. The antiparasitic drug albendazole showed less toxic effects at similar doses at the same intervals, but both treatment groups had a significant effect (P&lt;0.001). The highest toxic effects of essential oil were observed at a concentration of 10 μg/mL 30 minutes after treatment. For albendazole, this effect was achieved at a dose of 10 μg/mL after 2 hours. Conclusions: The results and statistical data of this study showed that the essential oil of B. persicum (Boiss) in comparison with the antiparasitic drug albendazole has an acceptable scolicide effects in hydatidosis and can be used as an alternative to scolicide compound.

Comparitive Invitro Antihelmintic Activity of Electeria cardamom and Amomum subulatum against Pheritima Posthuma

Elettaria cardamomum and Amomum subulatum fruits were easily available and commonly used in our day –to-day life. The present study aimed at the in-vitro comparative study of anthelmintic activity of aqueous extracts of fruits of Elettaria cardamomum, Amomum subulatum and mixed. The fruits were extracted separately with distilled water by maceration method .The various concentrations of the extract (50,100, 200mg/ml) respectively were screened for their anthelmintic activity using Pheritima posthuma. The activity was comparable with the standard drug albendazole. When the concentrations of the extract are increased, a gradual increase in anthelmintic activity is observed. The study involved the determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Aqueous extract of Elettaria cardamomum, Amomum subulatum and mixed showed anthelmintic activity but mixed extract was more efficient anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworms. The data were found statistically significant by using one way ANOVA (P&lt; 0.001). Further studies are suggested to isolate the active principles responsible for the activity.

Osmotic Effect of Terminalia Catappa Linn. Leaf Extract on Adult Onchocerca Volvulus by Modified in-Vitro Bioassy, Using the Parameter of Weight

Background: Onchocerca volvulus is a causative agent of Onchocerciasis, a leading cause of blindness. This study was to determine the osmotic effect of Terminalia catappa (Tropical Almond) leaf extract on the adult Onchocerca volvulus by modified in-vitro bioassay, using the parameter of weight. Method: A total of 252 adult worms (Onchocerca volvulus) sourced via nodulectomy were used for the study. The crushed leaves of Terminalia catappa was extracted using 95% ethanol, filtered, and evaporated (Tabassam method). The dried extracts were dissolved in sterile dilutions to prepare dose concentrations of 10mg/ml, 20mg/ml and 40mg/ml. Seventeen labeled laboratory beakers were used for the study. At room temperature (25-30°C), six life worms per beaker were individually weighed, using electronic weighing instrument (OHAUS) and weights recorded before they were introduced into the different doses of Terminalia catappa leaf extract. The worms were observed for paralysis and death. Upon death, the worms were again weighed and results recorded. A positive control beaker contained anthelmintic drug Albendazole and a negative control beaker, contained saline water. The procedure was repeated three times. Result: The methanolic Terminalia catappa leaf extracts effect on onchocerca volvulus recorded the following mean average results upon the death of worms. The concentraton dose of 40mg/ml leaf extract showed 0.005±0.001 weight loss. The dose of 20mg/ml and 10mg/ml leaf extract recorded 0.003±0.001 and 0.002±0.000 weight loss respectively. The reference drug (Albendazole) showed a reduction in the mean average weight of worms upon death 0.005 ± 0.006 compared to the live weight. And worms in Saline water recorded a weight increase of .001± 0.006 upon dead.   Conclusion: This weight reduction was observed as a consistent pattern with the methanolic Terminalia catappa leaf extract and therefore possesses concentration dependent osmotic mechanism on Onchocerca volvulus. With saline water, the worms rather increased in weight upon death.

Role of National Filaria Control Programme (NFCP) Units in Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in Uttar Pradesh, India

All 51 lymphatic filariasis (LF) endemic districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh are being targeted for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (ELF) and accordingly, mass drug administration (MDA) had to be observed for consecutive five years by administering only Di-ethyl Carbamazine Citrate (DEC) once in a year. However, the human resource deployed in the state under NFCP is not optimally involved and utilised for the purpose. Instead, one more drug albendazole (400 mg) was added along with DEC and was administered to all age groups above 2 years of age since 2008 to have an effect on the adult worm too together with mf and therefore, the parasite was destroyed preventing the infected person from developing clinical manifestation. This had to be assessed by conducting a transmission assessment survey (TAS) thrice at an interval of two years.Out of 51 filaria endemic districts of the state, 42 districts have been subjected to TAS since 2015, of which only one district, i.e. Rampur, has cleared TAS-1, TAS-2 and TAS-3 and is under post MDA surveillance. 09 districts were subjected to TAS-1 twice, but could not clear the TAS-1 level, while 09 other districts could not qualify to proceed further for TAS-1. The state is yet to achieve the elimination of LF and has to conduct more MDA rounds beyond the scheduled five rounds required for the elimination of the disease. The various reasons for not achieving the target in programme implementation have been raised in the present paper.

Discovery of Cinnamylidene Derivative of Rhodanine with High Anthelmintic Activity against Rhabditis sp.

The treatment of parasitic infections requires the application of chemotherapy. In view of increasing resistance to currently in-use drugs, there is a constant need to search for new compounds with anthelmintic activity. A series of 16 cinnamylidene derivatives of rhodanine, including newly synthesized methoxy derivatives (1–11) and previously obtained chloro, nitro, and diethylamine derivatives (12–16), was investigated towards anthelmintic activity. Compounds (1–16) were evaluated against free-living nematodes of the genus Rhabditis sp. In the tested group of rhodanine derivatives, only compound 2 shows very high biological activity (LC50 = 0.93 µg/µL), which is higher than the reference drug albendazole (LC50 = 19.24 µg/µL). Crystal structures of two compounds, active 2 and inactive 4, were determined by the X-ray diffraction method to compare molecular geometry and search for differences responsible for observed biological activity/inactivity. Molecular modelling and selected physicochemical properties prediction were performed to assess the potential mechanism of action and applied in the search for an explanation as to why amongst all similar compounds only one is active. We can conclude that the tested compound 2 can be further investigated as a potential anthelmintic drug.

Potential effects and relevant lead compounds of Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper seeds against bacterial infection, helminthiasis, thrombosis and neuropharmacological disorders

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, helminthiasis, thrombosis, anxiety and insomnia are some of the major global health concerns. Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper (VM) has been used traditionally to treat microbial infection, helminthic disorder, schizophrenia, memory loss, and blood circulatory problem. This research aims to discover antibacterial, anthelmintic, thrombolytic and neuropharmacological effects of the methanol extract of Vigna mungo seeds (MESVM), and also in-silico prediction of relevant lead compounds by molecular docking and ADME/T analysis. The crude extracts and subsequent fractions of MESVM were investigated for antibacterial activity by disc diffusion method, anthelmintic activity by paralysis and death test on earthworms, and thrombolytic activity by in vitro blood clot dissolution test. Open-field test and elevated plus maze test were performed for evaluating anxiolytic activity of the extracts. Using molecular docking, ligand poses of selected VM seeds’ phytoconstituents were predicted targeting tubulin, GlcN-6-P synthase, and human tissue plasminogen activator proteins for anthelmintic, antibacterial, and thrombolytic activity, respectively. In the antibacterial activity test, the MESVM at 10000 μg/mL concentration created highest and significant (P < 0.001) zone of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (15.42 mm) and Escherichia coli (12 mm) compared with tetracycline. The MESVM exhibited remarkable anthelmintic activity at 50 mg/mL concentration with 35.4 min paralysis time, 75.2 min death time and were closer to the durations of standard drug albendazole. No test extract showed anxiolytic activity. In thrombolytic activity test, all concentrations of MESVM produced clot lytic activity with high significance (P < 0.001) in comparison with the blank. In docking, 2′-hydroxygenistein, cyclokievitone hydrate, and aureol displayed maximum affinity to the target proteins for anthelmintic, antibacterial, and thrombolytic activity, respectively. This research revealed that the MESVM demonstrated potential anthelmintic, antibacterial and thrombolytic effects that confirmed the folkloric uses of VM and the found relevant lead compounds might be further optimized in future drug development.