Evaluation of Cytotoxic and Anthelmintic Activities of Bark Extract of Aphanamixis Polystachya (Wall.)

Abstract

Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) belongs to the family Meliaceae and it is extensively used in folkloric medicine of Bangladesh, for the treatment of various disorders. This evaluating study of methanolic extract of Aphanamixis polystachya bark was conducted to investigate the cytotoxicity, using brine shrimp lethality as test method as well as anthelmintic activity with the determination of time of paralysis and death using earthworm (Pheritima posthuma) at four different concentrations. The study confirmed that the methanolic extract of the bark of Aphanamixis polystachya possess mild cytotoxic activity (LC50=26.01±0.325 μg/ml) in comparison to the standard drug vincristine sulphate (LC50=0.839±0.013 μg/ml). On the other hand methanolic extract showed better anthelmintic activity as it required less time for paralysis and death comparing with the standard drug albendazole (concentration 10 mg/ml). At concentrations 10, 20, 40 and 60 mg/ml methanolic extract showed paralysis at mean time of 35.66± 0.72, 32.66±0.47, 27.66±0.72 and 25.66±0.27 and death at 52.33±0.72, 48.33±0.47, 40.00± 0.98 and 38.33±0.27 minutes, respectively. Whereas the standard drug albendazole showed paralysis and death at 56.20±0.20 and 77.40±0.24 minutes respectively. Thus, further studies are suggested to isolate the key compounds responsible for the cytotoxic and anthelmintic activities and also to conduct these tests using in vivo procedures.