World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF ALTERNANTHERA SESSILIS LINN

Mrinmay Das* and Yadgiri Phalguna

ABSTRACT

Alternanthera sessilis Linn. (‘Joyweed’), a member of Amaranthaceae family is a weed and occurs in both wetlands and uplands on variety of soil types. Alternanthera sessilis is a popular leafy vegetable in Sri Lanka and also used as traditional medicine in China, India and Sri Lanka. The herb has been reported to be used as galactogogue, cholagogue, febrifuge and indigestion. The present study was aimed to investigation of the anthelmintic potential of crude ethanolic extract of Alternanthera sessilis Linn. on Indian earth-worm (Pheretima posthuma). Three concentrations (25, 50, 100 mg/ml) of each extract were studied in activity which involved the determination of time of paralysis (vermifuge) and time of death (vermicidal) of the worms. Albendazole in 25mg/ml concentration was included as standard reference and normal saline with 1% CMC as control. The ethanolic extracts exhibited significant anthelmintic activity at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. The present investigation confirms that, the ethno-medicinal claim of anthelmintic activity of this plant is genuine.

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