Evaluation of antimicrobial and anthelmintic activities of the aerial parts of Elephantopus scaber L. Kanthal Lakshmi Kanta1,*, Kiran B.V.V.S. Surya1, Satyavathi K.1, Raju P. Bhoja1, Sahoo Subhas2 1Koringa College of Pharmacy, Korangi, Tallarevu [M], E. G. Dist. -533 461, Andhra Pradesh India 2Pulla Reddy Institute of Pharmacy, Annaram, Jinnaram (M), Medak Dist., Andhra Pradesh India *Corresponding Author: Lakshmi Kanta Kanthal Koringa College of Pharmacy, Korangi, Tallarevu [M], E. G. Dist. -533 461, A.P., India. Email: lkkhaldia@gmail.com, Ph: +918885230098
Online published on 31 October, 2013. Abstract Herbal medicine is having very old history. Plants are the typical manufacturers of complex drug molecules, which serve as a prototype to develop more effective and less toxic medicines. The antimicrobial activities of medicinal plants can be attributed to the secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids that are present in these plants. Helminthes infections are becoming a cause to disorders like eosinophilia, pneumonia, anaemia, and under nourishment. Anti-helmethic drugs will expel these worms by paralyzing or by killing the worms. In traditional system of medicine a large number of plants are claimed to have anthelmintic activity. Chemical study started from 1960’s and showed that constituents of E. scaber L. include flavonoids, triterpenoids, flavonoid esters and sesquiterpene lactones. Elephantopus scaber L. belongs to the family Asteraceae. The present study was carried out to screen the antimicrobial and anthelmintic activities of Elephantopus scaber L. The activities of extracts of the plant material are compared with the piperazine citrate. The n-hexane, chloroform and methanolic extracts shows concentration dependent and significant anthelmintic activity compared to the piperazine citrate and Albendazole and Amoxicillin and Fluconazole for the case of antimicrobial activity. Thus the anthelmintic and antimicrobial activities of Elephantopus scaber L. are demonstrated for the first time. Top Keywords Elephantopus scaber L, antimicrobial activities, Antihelmethic drugs, Pheritima posthuma. Top |