Background: A species of holly, Ilex khasiana Purk. (family Aquifoliaceae) is one of a few critically endangered medicinal plants in India. It is endemic to Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, and Aizawl, Mizoram. In the traditional medicines of Khasi and Mizo people, the leaves are used as a panacea for all sorts of infections. Nothing is known about its true pharmacological potentials. Objective: We aimed to assess the extract of I. khasiana leaves for its purported antiparasitic property. To test the antiparasitic activity, we collected intestinal tapeworms, Raillietina tetragona. Materials and Methods: I. khasiana leaves were dried and extracted in methanol. The plant extract was used to treat the tapeworms at different concentrations. The efficacy was recorded as survival values and were analysed by Student's t-test. The plant extracttreated tapeworms were fixed, dehydrated and observed under scanning electron microscopy for studying the structural details. Results: The methanol extract of I. khasiana leaf showed dose-dependent antiparasitic effect as that of albendazole. The treated tapeworms developed massive structural damages. The scolex was deformed, with its tegument extensively damaged. The suckers had their spines clumped. The body segments severely contracted and some portions were eroded. Hair-like microtriches were completely lost. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that I. khasiana has antiparasitic activity and requires further investigations, and that there is a need to foster its conservation and propagation.

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To perform chemical analysis and study the antibacterial and antiparasitic activities of Acmella oleracea extracts. The methanol, chloroform, and hexane extracts of A. oleracea were prepared and analysed by GC-MS and HPLC. An active ethyl acetate fraction obtained from methanol extract was tested on Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a Gram-positive species Bacillus subtilis. An intestinal tapeworm, Raillietina echinobothrida was used for anthelmintic study and the effects were examined by scanning electron microscopy. GC-MS revealed that N-isobutyl-(2E, 4Z, 8Z, 10E)dodecatetraenamide was the dominant compound in all the three extracts. N-(2-Methylbutyl)dodeca-2,4-diene-8,10diynamide, N-(2-phenylethyl) non-2(E)-en-6, 8-diynamide and (2E,4E,10E)-N-isobutylhexadeca-2,4,10-trienamide were also detected. (2E,6Z,8E)-N-Isobutyl-2,6,8decatrienamide was confirmed by HPLC in all extracts. The methanol-ethyl acetate extract was effective against all the four bacteria with maximum activity against Bacillus subtilis. Anthelmintic effects on R. echinobothrida included tegumental shrinkage, surface erosion, obliteration of the spines, and formation of pits on the body segments. A. oleracea is shown to be rich in alkylamides. As the dominant compounds, these alkylamides can be attributed to the antibacterial and anthelmintic properties of the medicinal plant.

Ilex khasiana is a rare and endangered medicinal plant endemic to northeast India. Remaining largely unexplored,it is purported to have a range of medicinal values and may soon join the medicinal plant hall of fame.Extracts of the leaves were prepared using solvents of increasing polarity, namelypetroleum ether (IKP), chloroform (IKC) and methanol (IKM).The preliminary phytochemical screening indicated the presence of alkaloids, phytosterols, triterpenoids, saponins, reducing sugars, glycosides and carbohydrates. Free radical-scavenging activity was assessed using2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH). IKC exhibited the highest activity with an IC50 of 17.22 ± 1.87, followed by IKM with an IC50 of 26.93 ± 5.14 and IKP with an IC50 of 37.16 ± 5.11. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)was used as the standard DPPH scavenger and showed an IC50 of 8.31 ±0.72. IKM and IKC also showed positive antibacterial activity againstGram-negative bacteria such asEscherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, andKlebsiella pneumoniae, and a Gram-positive bacteriaBacillus subtilis. IKP did not indicate any inhibition against the selected bacteria. Our findings substantiate the basis for further investigations on the medicinal potentials of the plant.

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