Antihelminthic activity of Leucaena glauca (Ipil-ipil) seed and leaf extract in an Ascaridae model

Intestinal parasitism remains to be one of the most common infections among children despite the increasing awareness on concepts of hygiene. Commercial medicines abound in the treatment of different types of parasitic infections, however, there is still a continuous search for alternative herbal medicine since they are safer to use and possess less toxicity. Among different herbal plants, certain studies revealed that Leucaena spp. have hypoglycemic, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial and antihelminthic properties. This study was carried out to evaluate the antiheminthic activity of Leucaena glauca (Ipil-ipil) seed and leaf extract in an Ascaridae model. Aqueous seed and leaf extracts of L. glauca was tested against Ascaris suum in vitro. Eggs and adult worms were exposed in 5 increasing concentrations of Ipil-ipil seed and leaf extracts. Results of this study revealed an ED50 of 105 mg/ml leaf extract concentration and 47 mg/ml seed extract concentration in egg hatch test. While an ED50 of 102 mg/ml concentration of leaf extract and 96 mg/ml concentration of seed extract in adult motility assay was also obtained. Mann-Whitney U test showed a significant difference (sig. value of 0.037) in the distribution of unfertilized eggs of seed and leaf extracts. It also revealed the similar distribution (sig. value of 0.114) of immotile worms in adult motility test on both extracts. Furthermore, this study presented a dose-dependent antihelminthic activity of Ipil-ipil which provides a new and potential cure against intestinal parasitism.