Hidayatullah Tak

In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activity of Euphorbia helioscopia L.

The anthelmintic potentials of the aqueous and methanol extracts of Euphorbia helioscopia were investigated. In folklore medicine, E. helioscopia (Euphorbiaceae) is used in the treatment of various gastrointestinal ailments and diseases. A worm motility inhibition (WMI) assay and egg hatch assay (EHA) were used for in vitro assessment, and a faecal egg count reduction (FECR) assay was used for an in vivo study. The in vitro study revealed anthelmintic effects of crude methanolic extracts of E. helioscopia on live Haemonchus contortus worms as evident from their paralysis and/or death at 8h after exposure, different concentrations (12.5 mg ml(-1), 25 mg ml(-1) and 50 mg ml(-1)) of aqueous and methanolic extracts were used against H. contortus which exhibited dose-dependent anthelmintic effects on H. contortus. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of aerial parts (stem, leaves and flowers) of E. helioscopia were found to have very low percent inhibitory egg hatching as compared to levamisole. It is concluded that the entire plant of E. helioscopia possesses significant anthelmintic activity and could be a potential alternative for treating cases of helminth infections in ruminants.

Soil-transmitted Helminths in Relation to Hemoglobin Status among School Children of the Kashmir Valley

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) remain a major threat to the health of children throughout the world, mostly in developing nations. The aim of the present study was to determine any relationship between STHs and hemoglobin status in school children of Kashmir Valley (India). Stool and blood samples were collected from 382 male and female school children in the age group of 5–15 yr from all 6 school districts of the Kashmir Valley. Finger-prick blood samples were used to collect the hemoglobin, which was then measured on-site by Sahlis acid hematin method; stool samples were processed using both simple smear and zinc sulphate concentration methods. Of the 382 children surveyed, 299 (78.27%) were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, or both. Children infected by STHs were found to have lower mean values of hemoglobin than uninfected children. The present study reveals that STHs are abundant among school children of Kashmir Valley, creating a negative effect on the hemoglobin values and indicating the necessity of implementing control measures.

On Morphology and Morphometry of Trichuris ovis Abildgaard, 1795 Recovered from Ruminants of Ladakh, India

Abstract: Morphology and morphometry is used as tools for parasite identification since times immemorial, however this trend has been no longer used since the last decades and the identification became dependent on molecular characterization. However, this is possible in developed Countries while as the developing and underdeveloped Countries, like India, still largely depend on the traditional techniques. In this investigation an attempt was made to study the morphology and morphometry of adult Trichuris ovis recovered from caecum of the ruminants in Ladakh in order to access the effect of the study area, host, intensity, age, sex of the host and methodology on morphology of the parasite. It has been found that all these factors pose a little effect on the parasite identification were of minor importance because they were found within the range of similarity and were not good enough to label it as a new species as was expected. However, some descriptive features might be helpful in the parasite identification.

Anthelmintic Activities of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Prunella vulgaris L.

The increasing anthelmintic resistance, drug residues in animal products and high cost of conventional anthelmintics has created an interest in studying medicinal plants as an alternative source of anthelmintics. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of Prunella vulgaris was evaluated for anthelmintic efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep under both in vitro and in vivo conditions using worm motility inhibition assay, egg hatch assay and faecal egg count reduction percent (FECR%) assay respectively. Crude methanol extract and crude aqueous extract of P. vulgaris resulted in mean percentage mortality of 94.44%, as observed after the worms were put in lukewarm PBS for 30 min after exposure to different treatments(p<0.01). Crude methanol extract (LC50=2.48 mg/mL) had higher inhibitory effects compared to that of crude aqueous extract (LC50=3.36 mg/mL) on egg hatching, exhibiting higher ovicidal activity. in vivo, maximum reduction (92.86%) in faecal egg counts was recorded for crude methanol extract, followed by crude aqueous extract (80.34%) with dose 2 g/kg of body weight at day 15 post-treatment. The results of the present study suggest that P. vulgaris extracts are promising alternatives to the commercially available anthelmintics for the treatment of sheep nematodes.

Predominance of gastrointestinal protozoan parasites in children: A brief review

Intestinal parasitic infections are among the major diseases of concern to public health throughout the world [1]. About 25% of world’s population suffers from one or more kinds of intestinal parasitic infections (helminthes/protozoa). Children because of their complex nutritional requirements and less developed immune systems are observed to be the principal sufferers of these parasitic infections [2]. Moreover, they have an extremely delicate physiology which can result in severe upsetting of their biochemical and physiological processes associated with these infections. Intestinal protozoan parasites can affect children in a variety of ways; they cause mal-absorption, reduced growth, increased risk for protein energy malnutrition, reduced psychomotor development and anemia. This report addresses Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Entamoeba as the main parasitic protozoa of concern among children worldwide.

In Vitro Anthelmintic and Antimicrobial Activities of Methanolic Extracts of Fumaria Indica

Objective: The present study was undertaken to elucidate the anthelmintic and antimicrobial activities of Fumaria indica. Methods: The methanolic extract of Fumaria indica was evaluated for in vitro anthelmintic efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep (Haemonchus contortus) using adult motility assay. In vitro antimicrobial activities of various concentrations ranging from 100 to 500 mg/ml of alcoholic (methanol) extracts of Fumaria indica were analyzed on different clinical bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas multocida and Klebsiella pneumonia) and fungal strains (Aspergillus flavus, Candida kruesie and Candida albicans) using agar disk diffusion method and broth dilution method (MIC and MBC determination) for antimicrobial activity. Results: Crude methanol extract of Fumaria indica resulted in mean percentage mortality of 94.44%, as observed after the worms were put in lukewarm PBS for 30 min after exposure to different treatments (p<0.01). Highest mortality (95.00%) of worms was observed 8 hours post-exposure @ 50 mg/ml. There was 100% mortality of worms in Levamisole (used as a reference drug) within 4 hours post-exposure. In vitro antimicrobial activity results revealed that methanol extract of F. indica possess greater antibacterial activity than antifungal activity. MIC and MBC of methanolic extract showed that MIC values were 150 ml/ml against E. coli and 250 ml/ml. Conclusions: It can be concluded that Fumaria indica has got a broad spectrum in vitro anthelmintic and antimicrobial activity and could be used as a potential alternative for treating various diseases.