| dc.description.abstract | Development of helminthes resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs coupled with high costs and misuse
of conventional drugs call for the search of med
icinal plants as alternative source of helminthes
control.
In vitro
studies were conducted to determine the anthelmintic activity and phytochemical
compounds of
Zanthoxylum chalybeum.
Bioassay was conducted using 70% ethanol and aqueous
extracts’ in serial
dilutions parallel to serial dilutions of albendazole in three replicates.
Ascaris suum
model was used for the assays. Phytochemical methods and thin layer chromatography (TLC) were
used for qualitative phytochemical analysis. The aqueous and ethanolic ex
tracts of the
Z. chalybeum
inhibited 100 and 93% worm motility, respectively for 48 h post exposure. There was significant
differences in motility inhibition by all dose levels’ that were dose-
dependent when compared with
negative control (F
(5, 53)
= 10.62
, P = 0.001; R
2
= 0.92). There was a significant difference in mean motility
inhibition by the different methods of extraction (F
(2,53)
= 323.80, P = 0.001). The ED
50
of ethanolic and
aqueous extracts were 30.85 and 6.28 mg/ml, respectively. The potency o
f the plants extracts and
albendazole significantly differed (P = 0.001). The extracts contained tannins, saponins, flavonoids,
alkaloids, reducing sugars, coumarins derivatives, anthracenones, and anthocyanins. TLC
characterization indicated the presence
of polyphenols and sapogenins. In conclusion,
Z. chalybeum
root extracts showed anthelmintic potential
and the phytochemical compounds present justify the
plant’s ethno-
veterinary use and could be used as improved traditional medicines | en |
