Browsing by Author "Asiimwe Evarist"

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    Determination of phytochemicals and anthelmintic activity of Rytigynia kigeziensis Verdc extracts using Eudrilus eugeniae model
    (Kampala International University, 2020-06) Asiimwe Evarist
    Helminthic infections are among the global public health problems. Due to high cost of standard drugs, rural dwellers use herbal preparations whose efficacy and mechanisms of action are often not yet proven. In Uganda, Rytigynia kigeziensis Verdc is one of the commonly used anthelmintic herbs. The current study determined phytochemicals in R. kigeziensis stem bark aqueous, methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. The anthelmintic activity tests were done in triplicates using 252 Endrilus eugeniae (African night crawler) in 7 groups each comprised of 3 worms. Groups 1 (negative control) and 2 (standard drug) were treated with normal saline and 15, 25, 50 and 100 mg/ml of albendazole respectively. Groups 3 to 7 were treated with 15, 25, 50 and 100 mg/ml of aqueous, ethanol, methanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. Time of paralysis was noted when no movement was observed except when worms were shaken vigorously, while time of death was recorded when worms could not move when neither shaken vigorously nor pin pricked. Ethanol extract treated worms had lowest time of paralysis and death. This was used for study of R. kigeziensis effect on Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. LDH activity was assayed spectrophotometrically at 340 nm using Bio Vision clinical chemistry analyzer. All the results obtained were expressed as mean values ± SEM (n=3). The significance of difference between the means of albendazole and extracts concentrations were determined using One-way ANOVA on PAST version 3.15 and regarded significant at P ≤ 0.05. Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, steroids, anthroquionones and tannins were present in all the extracts. Phlobatannins were absent in all extracts while terpenoids were absent in ethyl acetate, reducing sugars and phenols were also not observed in chloroform extracts. The anthelminthic activity exhibited was dose dependent in all extracts. The ethanol extract had significantly lower times of paralysis and death (P < 0.05) compared to albendazole. R. kigeziensis stem bark extracts may serve as a potential anthelminthic agent.