Anthelmintic efficacy of Holarrhena pubescens against Raillietina spp. of domestic fowl through ultrastructural, histochemical, biochemical and GLCM analysis

Abstract

Globally, traditional knowledge systems are a powerhouse of information which can revolutionise the world, if decoded accurately and logically. Plant-based ethno-traditional and folklore curatives/medicines has a firm basis in the psyche of the common masses of West Bengal and Holarrhena pubescens is a representative example of it. This article communication on depicting the anthelmintic efficacy of ethanolic extract and Ethyl acetate fraction of the stem bark of Holarrhena pubescens against the cestode Raillietina spp. through efficacy studies, ultra-structural observations, histochemical and biochemical analysis on some tegumental enzymes i.e., Acid Phosphatase (AcPase), Alkaline Phosphatase (AlkPase), Adenosine Triphosphatase (ATPase) and 5ˈ-Nucleotidase (5ˈ-Nu) along with Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) analysis of histochemical study. Praziquantel was used as the reference drug. Investigations revealed 10mg/ml dosage of crude extract was the most efficacious dose and amongst the fractions the ethyl acetate fraction showed the most anthelmintic property. Ultrastructural studies through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) clearly depicted the damage in head, sucker, proglottids, proximal and distal cytoplasm (DC), microtriches (MT), basal lamina (BL), nuclear membrane (NM), and, nucleolus (NL) in the treated worms. Histochemical studies revealed decrease in staining intensity for all the tegumental enzymes in the treated worms compared to control. The GLCM analysis strongly supported the result of histochemical studies. Biochemical studies revealed marked reduction in enzyme activity in the treated worms with maximum reduction in the activity of 5ˈ- Nu (77.8%) followed by ATPase (63.17%).

Anthelmintic efficacy and phytochemical screening of ethanolic extract of the discarded Schumannianthus dichotomus stem- a waste product of the local handicraft industry of Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India

“…Additionally, the plant extract distorts the surface topography and subcellular structures. These ndings align with previous studies utilizing different plant extracts [39,41,42,57,65,66].…”

“…Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies have revealed distortions in the smooth texture of the tegument, as well as cracking and folding in treated worms, which are likely to impede nutrient uptake and energy metabolism in the parasite. Similar tegumental alterations caused by phytoproduct treatments have been documented by numerous researchers [35,41,42,57,[62][63][64].…”

“…To separate different fractions of the ethanolic extract, solvents with varying polarities such as Hexane, Chloroform, Ethyl acetate, and n-Butanol were employed using a separating funnel and fractional distillation process [41]. A 50 ml aqueous solution of crude extract (2.5 gm in 50 ml distilled water) was mixed with 50 ml of Hexane and allowed to stand for 2 hours.…”

“…Raillietina spp. is therefore used as a model organism for the study of anthelmintic activity in many studies [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42].Widespread use of over-the-counter anthelmintics has resulted in drug resistance in many animal populations [43]. In numerous underdeveloped regions, livestock producers lack access to basic veterinary services and medications, leading to the continued utilization of medicinal plants in conjunction with veterinary pharmaceuticals to treat animal ailments.…”