INTRODUCTION:

The most prevalent type of parasitic diseases in humans, Helminth infections impact a significant section of the global population, particularly young children. They represent a serious threat to public health in underdeveloped nations and increase the risk of pneumonia, eosinophilia, anaemia, and malnutrition. According to the World Health Organization, Helminthiasis affects over two billion people worldwide. Infections with Helminths are now recognised as the cause of several acute and chronic illnesses in both humans and cattle¹.

The three subgroups of worms are Nematoda, Cestoda, and Trematoda. Antinematodal, Anticestodal, and Antitrematodal medications are utilised for these three categories. Worms lack the capacity to store energy, necessitating a continuous intake of sustenance to meet their metabolic requirements. Consequently, anthelmintic treatments primarily induce worm mortality through either depriving them of sustenance to the point of starvation or rendering them immobile.

Any disruption in this process leads to energy loss. It is worth noting that a considerable portion of mature Helminths can be effectively eliminated by inhibiting their ability to feed for a period of 24 hours or even less. Helminths will also perish if they are briefly rendered paralysed and unable to maintain their posture in the gut. The frequent use of suitable anthelmintic medications is necessary for the rational control of helminthic infections.² The development of resistance occurs when a synthetic medicine is used repeatedly. Benzimidazoles, piperazine, Diethylcarbamazine Citrate, Ivermectin, Levamisole, and other synthetic anthelmintics now in use include side effects that include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, diarrhoea, sporadic fever, and rashes.³ At least 80% of the world's population in impoverished nations uses plant material as their major source of healthcare according to traditional medicine. Traditional methods of removing parasitic worms from the body include stunning or killing those using anthelmintic herbs.^4,5

Ginger powder, pumpkin seeds, areca nuts, papaya seeds, and turmeric powder are readily accessible herbs in any country, including India. These plants have antioxidant, antihypertensive, antilipidemic, and other qualities in addition to their anthelmintic effects. These herbs are all readily available on the market and have no negative side effects. We contrast these plants with common synthetic medications in the current study. As effective substitutes for the conventional allopathic pharmaceuticals, anthelmintic medicinal herbs are employed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Collection of plant material:

Turmeric (Curcuma Longa,Zingiberaceae), Ginger (Zingiber Officinalis, Zingiberaceae), Papaya seeds (Carica Papaya, Caricaceae), Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita Pepo, Cucurbitaceae), and Areca nuts (Areca Catechu, Arecaceae), all the plant material were collected from the local market of Pune (Maharashtra), India. The seeds and rhizomes underwent a cleansing process involving washing with water, followed by surface sterilization using a 10% sodium hypochlorite solution. Afterward, they were rinsed with sterile distilled water and left to air dry at room temperature. The resulting dried seeds and rhizomes were subsequently ground into a powder, serving as the raw material, and were stored in an airtight container.^6,7,8,9

Worm Gathering Process:

We obtained Indian adult earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) from the vermicomposting area of a local plant nursery because they share anatomical and physiological similarities with human intestinal roundworm parasites. Subsequently, we meticulously cleansed the gathered earthworms with normal saline to eliminate any fecal residue, ensuring their suitability for our anthelmintic research. Throughout our experimental procedures, we exclusively utilized earthworms measuring between 3 to 5 centimeters in length and 0.1 to 0.2 centimeters in width.^10,11

Preparation of Test Samples and Anthelmintic Testing:

To create test samples of Turmeric powder, ginger powder, Papaya seed powder, Pumpkin seed powder, and Areca nut powder, we dissolved these dry plant powders in varying concentrations (100, 200, 300 mg/ml) of distilled water. The mixture was then subjected to a 10-minute boiling process. Afterward, we carefully filtered the mixture, retaining the collected supernatant for our anthelmintic experiments.^12,13,14

For the experiments, we selected adult Indian earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) of approximately equal size. Each earthworm was placed in a nine cm Petri dish containing 20ml of leaf extracts. We also prepared Piperazine citrate, Albendazole, and Ivermectin at the same concentrations as the test samples. As a control, we used normal saline water.All the test solutions and standard drug solutions were freshly prepared before initiating the experiments. Our observations included noting the time taken for paralysis, which was defined as the point when no movement was observed in the worms except when they were shaken vigorously. Additionally, we recorded the time of death for the worms, confirming their demise when they displayed neither movement when shaken vigorously nor when dipped in warm water (at 50°C).^{15, 16}

Drugs and Chemicals:

Working standards of pharmaceutical grade Ivermectin (batch no. IV/09/156), Albendazole (batch no. AL/78/240) and Piperazine Citrate (batch no. PC/12/114) were obtained as gift sample from AGIO PHARMA, Pune, (Maharashtra, India).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Identification test for presence of active constituents in seeds.^{17,18,19,20,21}

All the herbal drugs used for anthelmintic activity are also tested for phytochemicals present in it, and the test data is represented in Table no. 1 as below.

Table.no.1: Phytochemical testing of herbal drugs used in anthelmintic study (+/++ indicates presence of phytochemical, -- indicates absence of phytochemical)

Phytochemical	Turmeric powder	Papaya Seeds powder	Pumpkin Seeds powder	Ginger Powder	Areca Nut Powder
Flavonoids	++	++	--	++	++
Tannins	++	++	++	++	++
Glycosides	--	--	--	++	++
Cardiac Glycosides	--	--	+	--	--
Terpenoids	++	--	++	+	++
Carbohydrates	--	--	+	--	++
Resins	--	--	+	+	++
Saponins	++	+	+	++	++
Alkaloids	+	++	+	++	++
SteroidalTerpenes	+	+	--	++	++

Table 2 and Figure 1 present the findings regarding anthelmintic activity. In the study, Normal saline was employed as the control, while three different concentrations of both herbal and synthetic drugs (100 mg/ml, 200mg/ml, and 300mg/ml) were administered to assess their anthelmintic effectiveness. The observations focused on two key parameters: the time required for paralysis and the time for the worms to reach the state of death. Paralysis was noted when there was a complete absence of any movement, except when the worms were shaken vigorously. Death was determined when the worms not only lost their motility but also exhibited a fading of their body colors.^22,23,24,25

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Table 2: Comparing table showing anthelmintic activity of herbal and synthetic drugs

Sr. No	Treatment	Concentration in mg/ml	Time in minutes
Sr. No	Treatment	Concentration in mg/ml	Paralysis	Death
1	Normal Saline	-	-	-
2	Piperazine Citrate	100	52	112
		200	43	98
		300	38	70
3	Albendazole	100	100	150
		200	65	105
		300	33	78
4	Ivermectine	100	53	90
		200	46	79
		300	32	61
5	Turmeric powder	100	42	71
		200	23	49
		300	14	30
6	Papaya seed powder	100	120	140
		200	82	91
		300	40	62
7	Ginger powder	100	125	300
		200	100	236
		300	85	164
8	Pumpkin seed powder	100	220	410
		200	155	305
		300	100	245
9	Pumpkin seed powder + Areca nut powder	100	120	240
		200	85	187
		300	53	115

Figure 1: Anthelmintic activity of Turmeric powder, Pumpkin seed powder, Ginger powder, Papaya seed powder, Arica nut powder, Albendazole, Ivermectine.

Figure 2: Anthelmintic activity of Areca Nut powder

Figure 3: Anthelmintic activity of Piperazine citrate

Findings from the anthelmintic investigations revealed distinct outcomes across different concentrations of herbal drug powder. At the 100mg/ml concentration, the earthworms experienced paralysis, accompanied by noticeable swelling and increased firmness in their bodies. In the case of the 200mg/ml concentration, the effects were more pronounced. Earthworms exhibited skin peeling, the presence of blood smears, considerable swelling in their bodies, reduced mobility, and a swelling on the head portion. Eventually, their bodies became rigid and further swelled upon reaching the death stage. When exposed to the highest concentration of 300mg/ml, the organism's inactivation began at the tail, resulting in a paler and thinner tail portion over time. Only the head section retained any semblance of movement. In the death stage, the organism's body had noticeably shrunk compared to its live state.^26,27,28

One synergistic investigation was carried out utilising equal amounts of powdered pumpkin seeds and areca nuts for anthelmintic action. Due to the synergistic impact, the organism died faster (just 115 minutes for 300mg/ml).

DISCUSSION:

By enhancing chloride ion conductance in the muscular membrane of worms, Albendazole and Piperazine Citrate promote hyperpolarization and decrease excitability, which result in muscle relaxation and flaccid paralysis. All of the herbal medication powder underwent phytochemical screening, which identified the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, terpenes, steroids, and more. Papaya seed powder, Pumpkin seed powder, Ginger powder, Areca nut powder, and Turmeric powder may all be used effectively to treat wounds, ulcers, haemorrhoids, frostbite, and burns thanks to the tannins they contain. Chemically, tannins are polyphenolic chemicals that have anthelmintic properties. As per available reports, tannins are believed to exhibit anthelmintic effects through their ability to bind to unbound proteins within the host animal's gastrointestinal system or glycoproteins located on the parasite's cuticle, potentially leading to parasite mortality.

On the basis of our current findings, it is impossible to determine the precise mechanism underlying the anthelminthic effects of pumpkin seeds, papaya seeds, or even the other herbal medications employed in this study. According to the data, all worms died sooner when powder concentrations were higher because they generated paralysis much more quickly. Considering these plants' seeds are inexpensive and readily available in local markets, they might be classified as anthelmintic herbal medications and could become a fundamental component ofanthelmintic herbal formulations. Even these seeds can be utilised without going through any chemical or extraction processes.

CONCLUSION:

The aforementioned finding leads to the conclusion that powdered turmeric, ginger, papaya, pumpkin, and areca nut have strong anthelmintic properties. It is equivalent to common medications. The laboratory model's experimental data may offer support for the conventional usage of these plants' seeds as anthelmintics. These powders have no negative side effects. The combination of these powders has a synergistic impact as well.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

The authors would like to thank the Management and Principal, Abhinav Education Society’s, College of Pharmacy (B.Pharm), Narhe, Pune, India for their continuous support and encouragement throughout this work.

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Received on 23.03.2023 Modified on 16.08.2023

Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2024; 17(3):1196-1199.

DOI: 10.52711/0974-360X.2024.00186