Evaluation of In-vitro Anthelmintic activity of Nerium indicum Mill root extracts.

Intestinal worms affect a host of individuals resulting in malnutrition, stunted growth, intellectual retardation and cognitive deficits. Nerium indicum Mill belonging to the family Apocynaceae is a wild plant known kaner in Hindi as well as exile tree, Indian oleander. Phytochemical study of the plant root extracts reveals to contain various phytoconstituents like glycosides, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins and steroids. Hence roots of the plant was collected, authenticated, powdered and extracted with various solvents by hot extraction to obtain petroleum ether, chloroform, & ethanol extracts and also cold maceration to obtain ethanol extract and evaluated for its anthelmintic activity on adult Indian earthworms (Pheritima posthuma), which have anatomical and physiological resemblance with the intestinal roundworms parasites of human beings. Four concentrations (10, 30, 50 and 100mg/ml) of various extracts were tested and results were expressed in terms of time for paralysis and time for death of worms. Albendazole was used as reference standard. Dose dependent activity was observed in all plant extracts; although at all concentration level Ethanolic extract exhibited more activity in terms of time taken for paralysis as well as death of worms in a less time as compared to other extracts. All extracts shows standard comparable activity at 50mg/ml and 100mg/ml concentration. Thus extracts exhibited anthelmintic activity and could be an inexpensive and readily available source of anthelmintic treatment