Comparative Study of Anthelmintic Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extract of Leaves of Centella asiatica L.

Medicinal plants have gained popularity all over the world due to their marked biological activity. Therefore, the thrive for investigating and establishing the ethnomedicinal claims is on the rise. Centella asiatica L. (Apiaceae) is one of those plants that have ethno medicinal claims against various diseases like antimicrobial, bitter stomachic, cardiotonic, anthelmintic etc. The present study is therefore aimed at validating the ethno medicinal claims. Hence in the present study comparative Anthelmintic activity of ethanolic and aqueous extract of leaves of Centella asiatica L. was carried out on Indian earthworm Pheretima posthuma against the reference drug Albendazole. The ethanolic extract caused paralysis in 5.33 min and death in 10.40 min. in 80 mg/ml concentration. The aqueous extract of Centella asiatica L. caused paralysis in 8.25 min and death in 18.31 min. in 80 mg/ml concentration. The reference drug Albendazole at 80 mg/ml concentration has shown paralysis at 3.34 min and occurrence of death at 5.46 min. The results suggest that the active constituents responsible for the activity may be isolated and evaluated. Further studies may also be carried out using the in vivo model to establish anthelmintic activity.