Determination of anthelmintic activity of piper sarmentosum leaves extracts / Nadzirah Zulkafli

Helminthiases are one of the most prevalent diseases and can affect the global healthby causing serious and chronic diseases which eventually lead to death. Currently, control strategy for this problem is the usage of the anthelmintic drug. Nowadays, the anthelmintic drug that is used to treat human gastrointestinal nematodes has developed resistance and becoming less responsive. The alternative strategy may be the use of natural products that have an anthelmintic properties. Furthermore, there were many medicinal plants has been reported to possess anthelmintic activity.Piper sarmentosum is one of the plants within Piperaceae family, locally known in Malaysia as ‘Daun Kaduk’ or ‘Pokok Kaduk and were largely found in India, South East of Asia and Africa. The leaves of family Piperaceae have showed a potent anthelmintic activity and this may be described by the fact that several compounds like alkaloid, tannins, polyphenol and flavonoid may responsible for anthelmintic activity of plant. The present study aimed at the in vitro study of anthelmintic activity of Piper sarmentosum leaves extracts against Eudrilus eugeniae. Eudrilus eugeniaewere used as tested worms because of resemblance of anatomy and physiology with the human gastrointestinal nematodes. Piper sarmentosumwere extracted using three different extraction solvents which includes aqueous, ethyl acetate and methanol. The crude extract of Piper sarmentosum leaves from different extraction solvents then were tested on Eudrilus eugeniaefor three different concentrations which at 40 mg/ml, 60 mg/ml and 80 mg/ml. the anthelmintic activity were assessed by the time taken for paralysis and death of Eudrilus eugeniae. All the extracts showed significant (P < 0.05) compared with the standard drug. The present study showed that all three different solvents of Piper sarmentosum leaves extract showed a potent anthelmintic activity showing the less time for paralysis and death compared to the standard drug (albendazole). At concentration of 80 mg/ml of methanol extract of Piper sarmentosum leaves, it showed the shortest time to paralyze and death which was at 4.4 and 6.7 minutes respectively. Besides that, result were also showed that the time taken for paralysis and death were decreased as the concentrations were increased. Consequently, methanol extracts demonstrated the most significant anthelmintic activity as compared to aqueous and ethyl acetate extract. In conclusion, the Piper sarmentosum leaves might be used as anthelmintic agents and further studies are needed to isolate the possible anthelmintic principles in them.