Evaluation of Anthelmintic Activity of Plumbago Zeylanica Linn

Development of anthelmintic resistance and high cost of conventional anthelmintic drugs lead to the evaluation of medicinal plants which acts as an alternative source of anthelmintics. The present study has been undertaken to perform the evaluation of anthelmintic activity of Plumbago zeylanica belonging to family Plumbaginaceae. In the current study, experiments were conducted to evaluate the possible anthelminitic effects of various extracts of the roots of Plumbago zeylanica. Various concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20mg/ml) of water and methanol extracts were tested and results were expressed in terms of time for paralysis and time for death of worms. Piperazine citrate was taken as a reference standard drug.The anthelmintic activity was observed by gradually increasing the dose of extract. Methanolic extract of Plumbago zeylenica showed higher activity as compared to water extract. INTRODUCTION: It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 species of parasitic flukes. Tapeworms include about 5,000 species. Roundworms are an incredibly diverse group, with over 15,000 species. Flukes, tapeworms and roundworms are found in nearly every type of ecosystem. Adult flukes are leafshaped flatworms. Prominent oral and ventral suckers help maintain position in situ. Flukes are hermaphroditic except for blood flukes, which are bisexual. The life-cycle includes a snail intermediate host. Adult and larval roundworms are bisexual, cylindrical worms. They inhabit intestinal and extra intestinal sites, nematodes are cylindrical rather than flattened; hence the common name roundworm. The body wall is composed of an outer cuticle that has a noncellular, chemically complex structure, a thin hypodermis, and musculature. The cuticle in some species has longitudinal ridges called alae. The bursa, a flap like extension of the cuticle on the posterior end of some species of male nematodes, is used to grasp the female during copulation. Ascaris lumbricoides is one of the most common of the intestinal worms. It is a roundworm and infection with it is called Ascariasis. Children are more frequently and more heavily infected than adults because of their habit of putting all kinds of things into their mouths. If these objects are contaminated with Ascaris eggs from human faeces the children swallow the eggs and thus become infected. The round worm lives in the small intestines. The female lays as many as 200,000 eggs a day. These are passed in stool and develop in the soil. They are then transmitted as follows:  Eggs passed out in stool are embryonated in stool before they are infective.  The embryonated eggs are carried away from the contaminated place into houses by feet, foot wear or in dust by wind. They also can reach vegetables and fruits.  A child then eats and swallows food or fruits contaminated with eggs. Correspondence to Author: