PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND INVESTIGATION OF INVITRO ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF AERIAL PARTS OF RUTA GRAVEOLENS L. (RUTACEAE)

*Mariyumma Kutty V T, Harishma Haridas, Hina Femin and Harsha Rajan NM

ABSTRACT

Background: Parasitic roundworms (nematodes) cause substantial morbidity and mortality in livestock animals globally. The control of these nematodes has relied largely on the use of a limited number of anthelmintic. However, resistance to many of these anthelmintic is now widespread and therefore, there is a need to find new drugs to ensure sustained and effective treatment and control into the future. Methods: The aerial parts of plant extract of Ruta graveolens was prepared by Soxhlet extraction method and phytochemical screening was performed according to the preliminary chemical tests. Then the methanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts were evaluated for its anthelmintic activity against adult Indian earth worms Eudrillus eugeniae (family: Eudrilidiae). Three concentrations (25, 50 and 75mg/ml) of each extract were studied, which involved for the determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the test worms. Albendazole in same concentration as that of extract was used as standard reference and normal saline as control. Results: It was found that methanol (49±0.22) and ethyl acetate (65 ±0.24) extracts exhibited significant anthelmintic activity while aqueous extract (89±0.22) show least activity. Conclusions: These results suggest that extracts from Ruta graveolens have promising anthelmintic activity and that more broadly, plant extracts are a potential rich source of anthelmintic to combat helminthic diseases. Further it would be interesting to isolate the responsible phytoconstituents, which are responsible for the anthelmintic activity and the mechanism of action, which is being attempted in the laboratory.

Keywords: Anthelmintic activity, Ruta graveolens, albendazole, Eudrillus eugeniae.