Abstract

ANTHELMINTIC SCREENING OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF PISOLITHUS ARRHIZUS

R. Meghalatha*, Ashok Chittaragi, S. Nataraja and M. Krishnappa

ABSTRACT

The World Health Organization estimates that a staggering two billion people harbor parasitic worm infections. Parasitic worms also infect livestock and crops, affecting food production with a resultant economic impact. Despite this prevalence of parasitic infections, the research on antihelmentic drug is poor. As per WHO, only few drugs are frequently used in the treatment of helminthes in human beings. Antihelmentic from the natural sources may play a key role in the treatment of these parasitic infections.In the present investigation, anthelmintic screening of crude extracts of Pisolithusarrhizus. The phytochemical analysis revealed that the major bioactive components of the mushrooms are terpenoides, polyphenols, saponins, tannins and glycosides.In view of this chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of fruiting bodies of P. arrhizuswere evaluated separately for the activity on adult Indian earthworms, Pheretimaposthuma, using Piperazine citrate as reference standards.Three concentrations (20, 40 and 60mg/ml) of each extracts were studied in activity, which involved the determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worm. The results indicated that the methanolic extract was more potent than the chloroform and ethyl acetate solvent extract. All extracts showed effective anthelmintic activity at 60 mg/mlconcentration.

Keywords: Pisolithusarrhizus, Solvents, Helminthes, Anthelmintic activity,Piperazine citrate.