Investigation of in-vitro anthelmintic activity of Bauhinia racemosa linn.

ABSTRACT

Helminth infections are the most common health problems in India, in developing countries they pose a large treat to public. These infections can affect most population in endemic areas with major economic and social consequences. The plant Bauhinia Racemosa Linn. is a species of flowering plant belongs to Fabaceae family. The different parts of plant being traditionally used in catarrh, infection of children, boil, glandular and swelling. The present study was undertaken to evaluate anthelmintic activity of different extracts of whole plant of Bauhinia Racemosa Linn. The different successive extracts namely petroleum ether, ethanol and aqueous using an adult Indian earthworms, Pheretima posthuma as a test worm. Three concentrations (50, 75 and 100 mg/ml) of each extracts were studied in the bioassay which involved the determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worm. Albenzadole in same concentration as that of extract was included as standard reference and normal saline water as control. The results of present study indicate that the crude ethanolic extract significantly demonstrated paralysis and also caused death of worm in dose dependent manner, while aqueous and petroleum extracts show weak anthelmintic effect. Further studies are in process to isolate the active principles responsible for the activity.