Evaluation of in Vitro Anthelmintic and Antifungal Activity of Different Organic Extracts of the Seeds of Aphanamixis Polystachya (Wall.)

Abstract

Dried and disease free seeds of Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) Parker were pulverized into coarse powder and subjected to different extraction systems successively with n-hexane, chloroform and methanol at room temperature. After drying and usual work up three semisolid crude extracts were obtained and stored for in vitro evaluation of anthelmintic and antifungal activity. Among the three extracts n-hexane extract showed strong anthelmintic activity against Haemonchus contortus collected from the female goat and its LC50 value (0.10 mg/ml) was found to have more stronger activity than the standard Albendazole (LC50 0.15 mg/ml) and 100% mortality was found at the lowest concentration of 0.625 mg/ml. Chloroform extract and methanol extract showed strong anthelmintic activity (LC50 values 0.156 mg/ml), very close to Albendazole. In vitro antifungal activity of the seed extracts against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Aspergillus Niger was performed where methanol extract (500µg/disc) was found to be more dynamic than other two extracts and activity was relatively higher than that of the standard Ketoconazole (50µg/disc) against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. Abundance of secondary metabolites in crude seed extracts has proclaimed Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) Parker as an influential source of anthelmintic and antifungal medicine.