In vitro antihelmintic activity of Saba florida (benth) extracts against Nigerian adult earth worm (Terrestris lumbricoides)

Saba florida (Benth) Bullock is one of the African food/medicinal plants that has been applied traditionally for the management of many ill health conditions. As part of efforts to authenticate the oral claims scientifically the plant's aqueous and chloroform leaf and stem bark extracts were evaluated for anthelmintic activity. Standard procedures were used in the determination of anthelmintic activity study. Nigeria adult earth worms (Terrestris lumbricoides) were used for the study. Abendazole was used as standard. All the earth worms were washed in distilled water before they were released into a 20 ml of respective formulations including the control, standard and extracts (10, 20, 50, and 100 mg/ml). All the investigational extracts showed anthelmintic activity at the dose of 20 mg/ml. Durations between paralysis and death for aqueous leaf and stem extracts at 100 mg/ml are 2.65 and 29.06 minutes respectively while chloroform extracts were 12.25 and 15.50 minutes respectively. The aqueous extracts showed better activity against the worms than chloroform extracts. The extracts' anthelmintic activity was dose-dependent and comparable to the standard drug used. The aqueous leaf extract was more potent than the stem extract at the highest dose of 100 mg/ml administered. Death time was 7.70 ± 0.85 and 76 ± 1.27 minutes respectively. Similarly, the chloroform leaf extract was more potent than the stem (98.50 ± 0.74 and 128.75 ± 4.50 minutes, respectively). From this study herbal drugs and synthetic ones are equally effective in helminth infestations, but aqueous extract of the leaf of Saba florida showed better anthelmintic activity potential than the chloroform extracts.

Keywords: Abendazole, Saba florida, Terrestris lumbricoides, Anthelmintic activity