COMPARATIVE STUDY OF IN VITRO ANTHELMINTHIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF ALLIUM TUBEROSUM ROTTLER EX SPRENG. AND TRIGONELLA FOENUM GRAECUM L. ON INDIAN EARTHWORM

Helminths have infested human since the era of our earliest recorded history. As per the global estimate for the year 2010 about 465 million people were infested with round worms, hookworms, whipworms etc. So keeping this in our mind, a comparative study was done using ethanolic extracts of Allium tuberosumRottler ex Spreng. (ATR) and Trigonellafoenumgraecum L. (TFG) plants for anthelmintic activity using Indian earthworm (Pheretimaposthuma). Earthworms of 10-12 cm in length were washed with normal saline and divided into 6 groups with 6 earthworms in each group. Gum acacia 2% was used as control (group 1), albendazole suspension (20 mg/ml) as standard (Group 2), ATR 20 mg/ml and 40 mg/ml as group 3 and 4 and TFG 20 mg/ml and 40 mg/ml as group 5 and 6. Time of paralysis and death of individual earthworms was recorded. The plants showed significant anthelminthic activity. Both ATR and TFG at 20 mg/ml & 40 mg/ml doses respectively showed comparable values in time of paralysis and time of death but less potent when compared to standard drug (p<0.001).