Anthelmintic activity of bitter gourd leaves extract on Indian earthworms

The current study examines the Anthelmintic potential of the leaves of Momordica charantia, also known as Bitter Gourd. This plant has long been prized for its many therapeutic uses, particularly in Asian and African traditional medicine. A member of the Cucurbitaceae family, Momordica charantia is widely grown for its nutritional and medicinal qualities, which include its ability to reduce inflammation, diabetes, cancer, and microbial infections. The leaves used in this study were gathered from the Tardi Tal-Shirpur region of the Dhule district, verified, shade-dried, ground, and macerated with water and chloroform to prepare the extract. Because adult Indian earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) resemble intestinal parasites in humans physiologically, they were used as an in vitro model to assess anthelmintic activity. Aqueous and chloroform extracts at two concentrations (50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml) were evaluated, and the results were contrasted with those of a saline control and conventional albendazole (10 mg/ml). The duration required for the worms to become paralyzed and die was used to measure the anthelmintic activity. The 100 mg/ml doses of both extracts showed a much shorter time for paralysis and death than the 50 mg/ml concentrations, indicating dose-dependent action. Although both extracts were noticeably less effective than albendazole, the chloroform extract showed somewhat greater activity than the aqueous extract. Alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins are examples of bioactive phytoconstituents that may be present and contribute to the anthelmintic impact, according to these findings. In conclusion, the study confirms that Momordica charantia leaves possess moderate anthelmintic properties, supporting their traditional use and offering potential as a natural alternative or supplement to conventional anthelmintic drugs. Further phytochemical isolation and in vivo investigations are necessary to validate and characterize the active compounds responsible for this activity.