In vitro Effects of Some Thai Anthelmintic Plants on Mortality and Change of Tegumental Surface of Stellantchasmus falcatus

Abstract

IntroductionStellantchasmus falcatus, a species of fluke in the Family Heterophyidae, is a minute intestinal trematode of fish-eating birds and mammals. Human infections with this fluke have been reported in Hawaii [1], Philippines [2], Japan [3], Thailand [4] and Korea [5]. The S. falcatus metacercariae or infective stage is commonly found in freshwater fish such as Mugil sp. [5], Xenetodon cancila [6] and Dermogenus pusillus [7]. In Thailand, five species of flukes i.e. Haplorchis pummilio, H. taichui, H. yokogawai, S. falcatus and Centrocestus caninus were found responsible for human infections [8,9] due to the consumption of raw or undercook fish.Some medical properties of bitter cucumber (Mormordica charantia Linn.) include antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immunestimulant, insecticidal and anthelmintic properties. A bitter cucumber has been used to study about the anthelmintic activity on Ascaridia galli and Plasmodium berghei as antimalarial agent. A bitter cucumber (M. charantia Linn.) was shown that it was safe in experimental animals when ingested at low doses up to 2 months [10]. Previous study has confirmed that various preparations of papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) seeds can against helminthes effectively in vitro and in infected animals. Bioactive compounds responsible for the anthelmintic properties were ascribed to carpaine, carpasemine and benzyl isothiocyanate [11]. Most importantly, both papaya seeds and bitter cucumber fruits are cheap and easily available in tropical countries. However, there is no report that study regarding the effect of both extract of papaya seeds and bitter cucumber fruits on tegumetal surface of helminthes. Thus, this study is the first paper that study anthelmintic activity of both papaya seeds and bitter cucumber fruits on S. falcatus by observation under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Materials and Methods Preparation of the aqueous extract of papaya seeds and bitter cucumber fruitsThe aqueous extract of papaya seeds and bitter cucumber fruits were prepared according to the Thai Pharmacopoeia. Papaya seeds, 0.75 grams were dried and boiled in distilled water until the volume was 200 ml (3.75 mg/ml) then filtered through a sieved cloth to obtain a 100% stock solution. Twelve grams of bitter cucumber fruits was chopped and boiled in distilled water until the volume was 200 ml (60 mg/ml) and then filtered through a sieved cloth to get a 100% stock solution. The 100% stock solution was diluted in Tyrode's solution to give 12.5% and 50% concentration. Adult Stellantchasmus falcatus preparationThe chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) were orally force fed with half-beaked fish (Dermogenus pusillus) infected with metacercariae of S. falcatus. Three days later, adult worms were collected from the small intestine of the chicks with Baremann's apparatus and washed with 0.85 % NaCl solution. The worms obtained were stored in Tyrode's solution. Experimental designThirty adult worms were individually incubated in Petri-dish containing 5 ml of Tyrode's solution, 12....

An update review on the anthelmintic activity of bitter gourd, Momordica charantia

“…Buddhachat et al . [ 54 ] (2012) from Thailand studied the effect of aqueous extract of M. charantia fruit on the mortality and tegumental surface change on Stellantchasmus falcatus , a gastrointestinal trematode of fresh fish, birds, and mammals. They reported that the 12.5%, 50%, and 100% concentrations of plant extracts were able to kill all the worms at 280, 270, and 80 min, respectively.…”