DOSE DEPENDENT IN VITRO ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF ILLICIUM VERUM FRUIT EXTRACT ON PHERETIMA POSTHUMA

In the present work, the aqueous fruit extract of Illicium verum was evaluated for its anthelmintic activity against earthworms at three different concentrations (25, 50, and 100 mg/mL). The anthelmintic activity of the aqueous extract was compared with marketed allopathic drugs such as Piperazine citrate (10 mg/mL), Albendazole (25 and 50 mg/mL), Ivermectin (5 mg/mL), and Levamisole (10 mg/mL). A 2% v/v Tween 80 solution in water was used as the normal control. The concentrations of the marketed allopathic drugs were prepared using 2% v/v Tween 80. Anthelmintic activity was evaluated by recording the time required for loss of motility, paralysis, and death of the worms for all the prepared extracts and marketed drug solutions. The observed order of anthelmintic activity was: Levamisole > Piperazine citrate > Aqueous fruit extract of Illicium verum > Ivermectin > Albendazole.