Impact of anthelmintic efficacy of Calotropis procera on tegumental enzymes of the trematode, Gastrothylax indicus

Abstract

The trematode parasite, Gastrothylax indicus was exposed to ethanolic and aqueous flower extract of Calotropis procera to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of the plant. The parasites were incubated in 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 mg ethanolic and aqueous extracts per ml of PBS at a temp of 37± 1ºC. Mortality was observed at 0.5± 0.05h and 0.75± 0.10h for ethanolic and aqueous extracts respectively for the parasite at the highest test concentration of the plant extract. The commercial anthelmintic albendazole was tested for various concentrations ranged from 20-80 μg/ml and mortality was observed instantly (0.08±0.01h) at the concentration of 80 μg/ml. To further investigate the efficacy of plant extract, vital tegumental enzymes of the parasite viz. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Acid phosphatase(ACP), Adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and Glucose- 6- phosphatase (G-6-pase) was found to be suppressed by 43.890, 30.287,18.970 and 22.842% by ethanolic extract and 62.710, 19.780, 57.554 and 10.035% by aqueous extract whereas albendazole inhibited 41.617, 25.650, 64.797 and 26.611% respectively. Enzyme kinetic studies showed inhibition to be non-competitive in case of ACP with both the extracts and albendazole whereas for ALP it was found to be non- competitive with ethanolic and mixed type with aqueous extract. Albendazole showed competitive inhibition in case of ALP.