PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IN VITRO ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF PSIDIUM GUAJAVA

Helminth infections remain a significant public health problem, particularly in developing countries where poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare contribute to widespread transmission. Medicinal plants have long been used in traditional medicine as alternative therapeutic agents against parasitic infections. Psidium guajava (Guava) is a medicinal plant known for its diverse pharmacological properties due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins. The present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and in-vitro anthelmintic activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Psidium guajava. The leaves were collected, dried, powdered, and extracted using ethanol by Soxhlet extraction method. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out to identify the presence of secondary metabolites. The anthelmintic activity was evaluated using earthworms (Pheretima posthuma) as the experimental model. Albendazole was used as the standard drug, and the extract was tested at different concentrations. The results revealed the presence of important phytochemicals including flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and glycosides. The ethanolic extract exhibited significant anthelmintic activity in a dose-dependent manner by causing paralysis and death of worms comparable to the standard drug. These findings suggest that Psidium guajava leaf extract possesses promising anthelmintic properties and may serve as a potential source for the development of natural antiparasitic agents.