Comparative Anthelmintic Evaluation of Glycosmis mauritiana and Pedalium murex L. Roots

Herbal medicine is having very old history. Plants are the typical manufacturers of complex drug molecules, which serve as a prototype to develop more effective and less toxic medicines. Helminth infections are distressing huge population in the world. These infections are contributing to the disorders like pneumonia, anaemia, eosinophilia and under nourishment. Currently available anthelmintic drugs require improved management, high cost and also worms developing resistance to these drugs. So, there is a need of investigation of new anthelmintic molecules. Glycosmis mauritiana (Rutaceae) and Pedalium murex (Pedaliceae) are selected as test drugs based on ethno-botanical survey conducted in East Godavari Dist., Andhra Pradesh. The ischolar_mains of each plant were extracted with petroleum ether and ethanol. The anthelmintic activity of these extracts was screened by taking Indian earthworm (Pheretima posthuma) as a test organism and albendazole and piperazine citrate were used as reference standards. All the extracts show significant anthelmintic activity. The ethanolic extract of Glycosmis mauritiana shows more activity comparing to the other extracts. Overall anthelmintic activity revealed that concentration dependent nature of extracts. The extract shows potent and significant anthelmintic activity as compared to the standards and it was investigated to be used as effective anthelmintic drug.