SCIENTIFIC CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE OF ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF CITRUS MAXIMA LEAF: A TRADITIONALLY USED HERB OF NORTHEAST INDIA

Citrus maxima, a well-known citrus species, is an important Assam plant used to treat various disorders by many communities in Northeast India. The local tribes of Northeast India have been using the leaves of C. maxima to eradicate worm infestations since time immemorial. Till date, no scientific research has been conducted on this plant to determine its anthelmintic potential. As a result, an extensive screening was conducted on the anthelmintic potential of ethanol extract of Citrus maxima leaves against Pheretima posthuma using albendazole as the reference standard. Fifty-five Indian adult earthworms were collected and divided into eleven groups of five worms each. This essay considered three concentrations of the standard drug albendazole and the ethanolic extract of C. maxima leaves. This involved keeping track of the time required for the worms’ paralysis and death after being exposed to the drugs. Results showed a dose-dependent increase in the anthelmintic activity with ethanolic extract of Citrus maxima showed the highest activity at the dose of 200 mg/mL. When compared with the standard drug albendazole, the results produced by the extract implied that the leaves of C. maxima have high anthelmintic activity. This study scientifically validated the traditional anthelmintic of the leaves of Citrus maxima.