Background

Helminthiasis is a major concern in the livestock sector due to the immense afflictions in the production and economy of the farmer. Chemical anthelmintics are used to combat them and parasites are acquiring resistance against these drugs. Hence, the development of new drugs or alternatives is the need of the hour for combating such infestations. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of methanolic leaf extract of Tectona grandis on strongyles.

Materials and Methods

The dried leaves of Tectona grandis were subjected to Soxhlet extraction using methanol, and the extract was tested for its anthelmintic activity in vitro using egg hatch assay and larval motility assay. A dose of 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.625, and 7.8125 mg/ mL was used for the study. Fresh strongyle ova were exposed to different concentrations of the extract and observed after 48 hours for the hatch. L3 larvae obtained from coproculture were subjected to treatment with extract at different concentrations, and mortality per unit time was calculated. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were performed to identify the chemical nature of the extract.

Results

There was a dose-dependent inhibition of hatch and larval mortality with a maximum inhibition of hatch at 250 mg/mL. There was a cent percent hatch in control wells and no loss of progressive motility in the larval motility test. On exposure to the extract, the larvae progressively lost their motility, and finally, there were caesurae of movement which indicated their death. The extract at 250 mg/mL killed all the larvae by 30 min, whereas, at 31.25 mg/mL, the mortality was 66.6% after 2 hr.

Conclusion

The results suggest that methanolic extract from Tectona grandis leaves has a promising anthelmintic property and further studies are required for the isolation of active molecules.

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Anthelmintic Activity of Alcoholic Leaf Extract of Tectona grandis