CONTAINMENT OF HUMAN GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES BY HERBAL DRUGS: AN IN-VITRO STUDY

Parasitic worms live in and feed in living hosts. They receive nourishment and protection while disrupting their hosts ability to absorb nutrients. The macroparasites called helminths, causes Helminthiasis. In India, the overall prevalence rates range from 12.5% to 66%. About 50% of the urban population and 68% of the rural population in India is affected. According to WHO, just few medications are consistently utilized for the treatment of these parasite diseases, these include albendazole, mebendazole, piperazine thiabendazole and levamisole. The resistance of helminths to drugs poses health complications to both man and animals which increased the demand for the use of herbal drugs. The present study was carried out to evaluate anthelmintic activity of leaves of Trachyspermum ammi and Desmodium gangeticum. Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were chosen for studying anthelmintic activity as they have resemblance to intestinal round worms. The earthworms were exposed to series of concentrations 100mg/ml, 200mg/ml, 300mg/ml, 500mg/ml, 1000mg/ml of leaf extracts. Albendazole is used as a standard drug. Results revealed that a dose dependent decrease of paralysis time and death time were observed in both the extracts and albendazole treated groups. The Mean±SEM values of time of paralysis and time of death at 1000mg/ml of Trachyspermum ammi was found to be 6.6±0.881 and 8.3±1.20 (min) and that of 1000mg/ml of Desmodium gangeticum was found to be 7.3±1.201 and 10±1.527 (min). Hence, based on present results Trachyspermum ammi and Desmodium gangeticum have an anthelmintic activity and validates their traditional use for treating helminthiasis.