Pharmacognostical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigation on Leaves of Tridax Procumbens Linn

The study is aimed at development of physicochemical parameters and to investigate the active principle present in Tridax procumbens Linn. Tridax procumbens Linn. (Asteraceae) commonly known as Coat Buttons is an important plant used against various disorders in indigenous system of medicine such as Wound-Healing, Hepatoprotective, Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-diabetic and Immunomodulatory activities. However its functional properties and the underlying mechanism of action have not been clearly defined, the present study was undertaken to evaluate anthelmintic activity of methanol extract of leaves of Tridax procumbens L. against Pheretima posthuma (earthworm). Various concentrations (10, 20, 30mg/ml) of methanolic extract were evaluated in the bioassay involving determination of time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms. Albendazole was used as standard anthelmintic drug and distilled water was used as control. The results of present study indicated that the methanolic extract of leaves of Tridax procumbens showes significantly dose depending pharmacological activity. INTRODUCTION : Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are drugs that expelparasitic worms (helminths) from the body, by either stunning or killing them. They may also be called vermifuges (stunning) or vermicides (killing).Anthelmintics are drugs that are used to treat infections with parasitic worms. This includes both flat worms, e.g., flukes and tapeworms and round worms, i.e., nematodes. They are of huge importance for human tropical medicine and for veterinary medicine. Helminthes infection is the most common infection in man which effect the large proportion of world’s population.In the treatment of parasitic diseases anthelmintics are used indiscriminately.Use of most of these produces toxicity in human beings. Hence, the discovery and development of new drugs which are derived from plant sources is required which cause less harm to human beings and animals. An anthelmintic drug may interfere with the parasites' carbohydrate metabolism, inhibit their respiratory enzymes, block their neuromuscular action, or render them susceptible to destruction by the host's macrophages. Drugs used in treating specific helmintic infections include piperazine, pyrantelpamoate, pyrviniumpamoate, mebendazole, niclosamide, hexyl resorcinol, diethylcarbamazine, and thiabendazole. The mechanism of action of most of the anthelmintic drugs like Albendazoleis to causes degenerative alterations in the tegument and intestinal cells of the worm by Correspondence to Author: