Abstract
Methanolic extracts of 20 medicinal plants were screened at 1–10 mg/ml for in vitro macrofilaricidal activity by worm motility assay against adult Setaria digitata, the cattle filarial worm. Four plant extracts showed macrofilaricidal activity by worm motility at concentrations below 4 mg/ml and an incubation period of 100 min. Complete inhibition of worm motility and subsequent mortality was observed at 3, 2, 1 and 1 mg/ml, respectively, for Centratherum anthelminticum, Cedrus deodara, Sphaeranthus indicus and Ricinus communis. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay was carried out at 1 mg ml−1 and 4-h incubation period, and the results showed that C. deodara, R. communis, S. indicus and C. anthelminticum exhibited 86.56, 72.39, 61.20 and 43.15% inhibition respectively in formazan formation compared to the control.
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Acknowledgements
Dr. Nisha Mathew expresses her sincere gratitude towards the International Foundation for Science (IFS) and the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPWC), Stockholm, Sweden for the funding (Grant no. F/ 2929-1) to conduct this study.
The authors are grateful to Dr. P. K. Das, Director, Vector Control Research Centre for his encouragement during the study. The technical assistance rendered by Mrs. R. Anilakumari, Mr. S. Srinivasan and the staff of the parasitology division is gratefully acknowledged.
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This research is supported by The International Foundation for Science (IFS) and Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPWC), Stockholm, Sweden through a Grant to Dr. Nisha Mathew (Grant No. F/2929-1).
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Nisha, M., Kalyanasundaram, M., Paily, K.P. et al. In vitro screening of medicinal plant extracts for macrofilaricidal activity. Parasitol Res 100, 575–579 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0294-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0294-9