Abstract

IN-VITRO ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF HYDROETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA LEAVES

Bhosale Vishal*, Bhokare Pallavi and Khadke Anand

ABSTRACT

Calotropis gigantea a giant milk weed, is known for its pharmacological importance for centuries. The coarse shrub is a very prom ising source of anticancerous, ascaricidal, schizonticidal, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrhoeal, larvicidal with many other beneficial properties. Plant is described as a golden gift for human kind containing calotropin, calotropagenin, calotoxin, calactin, uscharin, amyrin, amyrin esters, uscharidin, coroglaucigenin, frugoside, corotoxigenin, calotropagenin and voruscharine used in many therapeutic applications. Different compounds like norditerpenic esters, organiccarbonates, the cysteine protease procerain, alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols and numerous cardenolides made this plant of scientific attraction for centuries. Different extracts of Calotropis gigantea leaves were found to possess invitro anthelmintic activity against Indian earthworms Pheritimaposthuma, using piperazine citrate as reference standard. Dose dependent activity was observed in extracts of plant leaves. 70% hydroethanolic extract shown better activity of Calotropis gigantea leaves. No work was reported on the part of leaves of Calotrops gigantea shows anthelminthic activity.

Keywords: Calotropis gigantea , Pheritimaposthuma, piperazine citrate, Anthelmintic activity.