Journal of Veterinary Parasitology

Effects of essential oil of bulbs of Allium sativum (Lahsun) and fruits of Piper longum (Peepli) were evaluated on gross visual motility and glucose uptake of Fasciola gigantica and Gigantocotyle explanatum in vitro in order to develop effective herbal anthelmintic. Both the flukes were incubated for 4 hours in different concentrations (100, 300, 1000 and 3000μg/ml) of the essential oil of A. sativum and P. longum and gross visual motility of the flukes and glucose uptake were recorded and compared with that of control flukes. Essential oil of P. longum and A. sativum completely inhibited the gross visual motility of the flukes at 1000 and 3000μg/ml concentrations. Glucose uptake of F. gigantic and G. explanatum was significantly inhibited at 300, 1000 and 3000μg/ml concentrations of essential oil of A. sativum and P. iongum, as compared to control. It is concluded that essential oil of A. sativum and P. longum produced paralyzing effect on F. gigantica and G. explanatum which might be the end result of energy crisis following glucose uptake inhibition in both the flukes.