Antitrypanosomal and Anthelminthic Properties of Ethanol Extracts of Carica papaya Linn. and Ceiba pentandra (L) Gaertn.

Abstract

The most common diseases that affect low-income countries are helminthosis and trypanosomosis. In Ghana, and in many other African countries, herbal treatment of various diseases is still common. In the present study, we sought to determine the antitrypanosomal and anthelminthic activities of Carica papaya and Ceiba pentandra. The ethanol extracts of Carica papaya stem bark (PPSe) and leaves (PPLe) and ethanol extracts of Ceiba pentandra stem bark (CPSe) and leaves (CPLe) were screened against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Pheretima posthuma worms in vitro. CPSe exhibited strong antitrypanosomal activity, while the other extracts exhibited moderate activity against T. b. brucei. All the extracts showed weak selective indices (SI) when tested on Jurkat cell lines, which is indicative of a potential toxic effect. When the extracts were screened against P. posthuma worms, only PPSe and CPSe were able to kill the worms after the exposure time at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL. PPSe was again the only extract that potentiated the anthelminthic activity of albendazole against P. posthuma worms. Preliminary phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of compounds with antitrypanosomal and anthelminthic properties. The results confirmed the potential of C. papaya and C. pentandra as remedies for trypanosomosis and helminthosis and also gives credence to their folkloric use.

Genus <i>Ceiba</i> Mill. in Brazil: A comprehensive review on its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and bioactivities

“…Antihemintic activity was also observed, killing Phetima posthuma after the experimental exposure time at 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/mL. These activities may be due to a high concentration and number of tannins and presence of n-hexadecanoic acid, a compound known for its antitrypanosomal potential (Wahab Obeng et al, 2022).…”

Preliminary Screening for the Anthelmintic Activity of Millettia zechiana Harms and Its Modifying Effect on Albendazole

“…GC-MS analysis was used since it can detect and identify very small quantities of analytes in complex mixtures with high accuracy and specificity. The most predominant compound detected in the ethanol extract was 9-octadecenamide 9 Journal of Parasitology Research (Z)-which is an alkaloid and is known to have anthelmintic and antitrypanosomal properties [18]. The ethyl acetate extract had n-hexadecanoic acid and oleic acid as the most predominant compounds (Table 10).…”

“…The approach utilized by Wahab Obeng et al [ 18 ] was used to assess the anthelmintic modifying properties of extracts derived from M. zechiana . Upon testing various concentrations of these extracts, it was found that concentrations of 1.25 mg/mL did not induce paralysis or death in the worms, and this concentration was therefore designated as the subinhibitory concentration for the plant extracts.…”

“…Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Extracts. The method described by Wahab Obeng et al [18] was used to determine the compounds present in the various extracts of M. zechiana. The extracts of M. zechiana were analyzed using a PerkinElmer GC Clarus 580 Gas Chromatograph attached to a PerkinElmer Clarus SQ 8S Mass Spectrometer.…”

Promising Anthelmintic Properties of Papaya (Carica Papaya) Extract: A Literature Study

“…Compared to albendazole, the ethanol extract of C. papaya stem bark at 10mg/mL significantly caused worm paralysis at 0.62 minutes and death at 0.42 minutes after therapy (p<0.00001). In addition, the ethanol extract of C. papaya stem bark could increase the anthelmintic activity of albendazole through combination therapy of C. papaya stem bark extract 0.5mg/mL and albendazole 2.5mg/mL, which significantly accelerated the paralysis and death of worms to 0.62-and 0.99-minutes post-treatment (p<0.00001), respectively (13).…”