Evaluation of Anthelmintic Activity of Different Extracts of Careya arborea

Manbir Kaur*, Ravika Nanda, Rupinder Kaur, Pooja Kohar

Department of Pharmacy, Global Group of Institutes, Amritsar

*Correspondence: manbirmanu@yahoo.com

DOI: https://doi.org/10.71431/IJRPAS.2025.4112  

INTRODUCTION

Throughout history, people have sought remedies for their ailments by exploring the natural world. The use of medicinal plants dates back to ancient times, initially driven by instinctual observations akin to those made by animals. During this era, knowledge about the causes of illnesses and the therapeutic properties of plants was limited, relying primarily on experiential evidence [1]. Over time, however, the rationale behind the use of specific medicinal plants for treating particular diseases began to emerge. This gradual shift led to a departure from empirical approaches towards a more evidence-based framework. Prior to the emergence of iatrochemistry in the 16th century, plants served as the primary source of treatment and prevention. Despite the advancement of synthetic drugs, the declining efficacy and increasing contraindications associated with their use have revived interest in natural remedies. As a result, the utilization of natural drugs has once again become a relevant and topical area of exploration [2].

Helminths multicellular worms, encompass various types including nematodes (roundworms), cestodes (tapeworms), and trematodes (flatworms), which commonly inhabitthe human gut. Among the most prevalent intestinal helminths are Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), Trichiuristrichiuria (whipworm), Ancylostoma duodenale, and Necatoramericanicus (hookworms), collectively known as geohelminths or soil-transmitted helminths. These infections are endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of the developing world, particularly in areas lacking adequate water and sanitation facilities [3, 4]. Recent estimates indicate staggering numbers of infections, with A. lumbricoides affecting over a billion people, T. trichiura795 million, and hookworms 740 million individuals [5].

Although intestinal helminths rarely result in mortality, they exert a profound impact on the health and nutritional status of affected individuals, particularly children [6,7]. Beyond health implications, helminth infections hamper physical and cognitive development in children, hamper educational attainment, and impede overall economic progress [8,9].

Helminth infections affect approximately one-third of the global population, making them one of the most prevalent infectious disease agents worldwide. These infections pose persistent challenges to public health, particularly in developing regions [10]. Approximately 2 billion people, more than a quarter of the world's population, are affected by helminthic parasites, representing a significant burden in developing countries, particularly among children. If left untreated, most helminth infections can evolve into chronic inflammatory disorders, leading to both immediate and delayed-onset pathology [11,12]. In developing regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas, an estimated one billion individuals are infected with one or more helminth species [13].Helminths are classified into two major phyla; nematodes and platyhelminths [14]. Nematodes, also known as roundworms, encompass soil-transmitted helminths and filarial worms responsible for lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis.[16][17]

Plant profile

Careya arborea Roxb, commonly known as wild guava and belonging to the family Lecythidaceae, Careya arborea, belonging to the Lecythidaceae family, is a tree species native to the Indian Subcontinent, Afghanistan, and Indochina. In Hindi, it is known as Kumbhi, while in English, it is referred to as the Slow Match Tree and is popularly referred to as Padmaka or Kumbhi in Ayurveda. This tree can be distinguished by its thick, dark grey bark, large showy flowers, and leaves that turn red in winter. It possesses significant medicinal value, with most of its plant parts utilized in traditional systems of medicine. The plant has been recognized for its antimicrobial, astringent, demulcent, antitumor, antipyretic, antipruritic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, CNS activity, antileishmanial, antidiarrheal, anticoagulant, analgesic, antitumour, and cytotoxic properties [23-26, 31-38].

Phytoconstituents of Careya arborea

The plant has been extensively investigated and chemical constituents from the barks, leaves and seeds of the plant have been reported to include triterpenoids, flavonoid, coumarin saponins and tannins. Careya arborea also contains five Saponins (sapogenols- careyagenol A, B, C, D and E); sterols, α-spinosterol and α-spinosterone.

Table 1: Phytoconstituents present in different parts of Careya arborea [27-30]

MATERIALSAND METHODS:

Plant Material    

The stem bark of plant is procured from Triputi region of Andhra Pradesh and was verified by Dr. K. Madhava Chetty, faculty of botany at Sri Venkateswara University, Tripura,

Andhra Pradesh. The specimen is assigned an accession no. 6310 and was deposited at the herbarium section of departmental museum for reference.

Preparation of the Extracts:

The collected plant materials (tubers) were initially washed under running tap water and then dried. Subsequently, they were finely ground to a powder. The powder was carefully sieved using a commercial sieve with a mesh size of approximately 60mm to ensure uniform particle size. The sieved powder was then labeled and stored in airtight bottles for future use.

To prepare the extracts, precise amounts of the powdered sample (35g) were weighed and placed in a Soxhlet extraction apparatus. Acetone and hydroalcoholic extracts were prepared by using 250ml of solvent separately. The extraction process was conducted for 24 hours with each solvent to obtain the plant extracts.

Collection of Animal and Experiment:

The assay was conducted using adult earthworms due to their structural and physiological similarities to the intestinal roundworm parasites found in humans. Earthworms are readily available and are commonly utilized for initial in-vitro evaluations of anthelmintic compounds.

Figure 1: Earthworms

Prepared extracts of Careya arborea were assessed for their anthelmintic activity against earthworms. Before commencing the experiment, all test solutions and standard drug solutions were freshly prepared as follows:

·         For 25mg/ml: 625mg of respective extract was dissolved in 25ml of dimethyl sulfoxide.

·         For 50mg/ml: 1.2gm of acetone extract was dissolved in 25ml of dimethyl sulfoxide.

·         For Albendazole Standard Drug (20mg/ml): 400mg of albendazole standard drug was dissolved in 20ml of dimethyl sulfoxide.

Two groups of earthworms, each of approximately equal size, were placed in 25ml solutions with two different concentrations (25,50mg/ml) of the extracts in petri dishes. Albendazole (20mg/ml) served as the reference standard, while acetone was used as the control. The time taken for paralysis and the time of death of the worms were determined. Paralysis was recorded when no movement could be observed in the worms except when vigorously shaken. The time of death was noted when the worms showed no movement even when shaken vigorously.

Figure 2 a. Albendazole (20mg/ml)   b. Acetone Extract (50mg/ml)  c. Acetone Extract (25mg/ml)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Anthelmintic activity of different extracts and standard drug

The result in the Table II depicts the time taken for paralysis and death of worms when treated with different concentrations. The standard drug, albendazole showed paralysis at 18 to 21secs and death after 35 to 37secs at 20mg/ml concentration. Acetone extract of C. arborea plant in concentrations 25 and 50 mg/ml showed paralysis of worms within 28 to 33secs and death within 45 to 52 secs depending on the concentration (Table 2).

Table 2: Anthelmintic activity with different extracts of C. arborea tuber and standard drug

Figure 3: Anthelmintic activity with different extracts of C. arborea tuber and standard drug

It was observed that the acetone extract (50mg/ml) of Careya arborea tuber is more potent than the acetone extract (25mg/ml) and their activities were comparable with the standard drug albendazole (20 mg/ml). Hydroalcoholic Extract at both concentrations did not show significant results.

CONCLUSION

In the evaluation of the anthelmintic activity of the Careya arborea, extraction was done using organic solvent acetone and aqueous solvent. The result depicted that the acetone extract (50mg/ml) showed the promising activity. From the above work it can be concluded that Careya arborea can prove to be a good source of herbal drug aiding to explore anthelmintic lead that is helpful in combating the diseases caused by helminths. Intensive investigations related to bioactive constituents for specific pharmacological action, their mechanism of action, safety, and efficacy could be the future research interests, to explore the plant exhaustively. There is a great promise for the development of novel drugs from C. arborea to treat many human syndromes as a result of its effectiveness and safety

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

We are thankful to the management of Global Group of Institutes for providing all necessary facilities during this study.

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