ANTIHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF BARK OF MYRICA ESCULENTA

Myrica esculenta (Myricaceae), commonly known as ‘Katphala’, is an evergreen, sun-temperate tree. Phytochemical constituents reported in the bark are tannins mainly epigallocatechin-3-o-gallate, gallic acid, myricanone, myricanol and a yellow dye. The edible portion of the fruit is its pulp which contains reducing sugars, tannins and vit C. Myrica esculenta (M. esculenta) is known traditionally in Ayurveda to possess various medicinal activities. In the present study antihelmintic activity of aqueous ethanolic extract of the bark of myrica esculenta was evaluated on adult Indian earthworm Pheritima posthuma, which resembles anatomically and physiologically with the intestinal round worm parasite of human being using piperazine citrate as reference standard. The extract was prepared using soxhlet apparatus and concentrated. This extract was used for the evaluation of antihelmintic activity, which caused the death of the worms at the tested dose level and it was found to be more potent than the reference control piperazine citrate. Aqueous ethanolic extract at the concentration of 12.5 mg/ml showed both paralysis and death in 20.11 & 41.25 min respectively. The effect increases with the concentration and the time taken for paralysis and eventually death is found to be inversely proportional to the dose.