Evaluation of anthelmintic activity of Eichhornia crassipes roots

Herbal medicine is having very old history. Plants are the typical manufacturers of complex drug molecules, which serve as a prototype to develop more effective and less toxic medicines. Helminth infections are distressing huge population in the world. These infections are contributing to the disorders like pneumonia, anaemia, eosinophilia and under nourishment. Anthelmintics are the drugs which expels the parasitic worms from the gastrointestinal tract by either paralyzing or killing the worms. So, there is a need of investigation of new anthelmintic molecules. Eichhornia crassipes belongs to the family Pontederiaceae, commonly known as “Water hyacinth” is selected as test drug based on ethno-botanical survey conducted in East Godavari Dist., Andhra Pradesh. In present study evaluation of anthelmintic activity of root extracts was done by using adult Indian earth worm Pheritima posthuma. The above activity was carried out using the petroleum ether, ethanol extracts of different concentrations using piperazine citrate positive control and normal saline as negative control. Overall anthelmintic activity revealed that concentration dependent nature of extracts. The extract shows potent and significant anthelmintic activity as compared to the standards and it was investigated to be used as effective anthelmintic drug.