Abstract

INVITRO SCREENING OF THE METHANOLIC ROOT EXTRACT OF SECURIDACA WELWITSCHII OLIV FOR ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY

Onah Cosmas Chuks*, Asuzu Isaac Uzoma, Anaga Aruh Ottah, Chuks Leonard Nnaedozie, Odeh Julius Okwoche and Omale Simeon

ABSTRACT

The use of ethnomedicinal plants in folk medicine predates advances in pharmacological knowledge and investigative procedures. Extract of Securidaca welwitschii Oliv is subjected to this pharmacological study to establish the pharmacological basis for the use by local healers in deworming people. Secondary metabolites produced by plants are responsible for the medicinal properties of plants generally. Phytochemical analysis of S. welwitschii indicates that it has tritherpenes. Terpenoids exhibit anthelmintic activities and may be responsible for the anthelmintic effect of S. welwitschii. Heligmosomoides polygyrus is a popular model for the study of helminths and it belongs to the same superfamily as Haemonchus species. The latter is the most important helminth of ruminants. The methanolic root extract of S. welwitschii produced concentration dependent levels of mortality on the third stage larvae of H. polygyrus. The highest concentration (1 mg/ml) produced 87.2% mortality of the larvae. The effect was significantly different (p<0.05) from the effect of other concentrations and the control. The lowest concentration (0.031 mg/ml) exerted 7% mortality of the larvae.

Keywords: Securidaca welwitschii, Root extract, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, anthelmintic.