Comparative Studies on in Vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Gymnema Sylvestre and Acalypha Fruticosa Forssk

The development of anthelmintic resistance and high cost of conventional anthelmintic drugs led to the evaluation of medicinal plants as an alternative source of anthelmintics. Traditional medicines act as a source of easily available effective anthelmintic agent. In the current study, In vitro experiments were conducted on Indian adult earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) to determine the possible anthelmintic activity of crude methanol extracts of Gymnema sylvestre and Acalypha fruticosa forssk. Methanol extract of the two plants at different concentration (25, 50, 100, 200mg/ml) showed dose-dependent vermicidal activities and results were expressed in terms of time for death and time for paralysis of worms. Piperazine citrate was used as a reference standard at a concentration of 10 mg/ml. The present study revealed that the two plants possess potent anthelmintic activity when compared to Piperazine.