In-vitro anthelmintic activity of Colocasia esculenta

Maharashtra is inhabited by several tribes and they are using several plants or plant-based preparations for the treatment of various ailments in their traditional system of medicine. During our course of studies on ethno medicine of this region, the plant being used as anthelmintic is leaves of Colocasia esculenta .This plant has a wide reputation among natives of being curative for intestinal-worm infections in the form of aqueous extract. Based on this, an attempt has been made to evaluate the anthelmintic potential of this plant. Aqueous and Ethanolic extract of the leaf from Colocasia esculenta were examined for anthelmintic activity against earthworm. The extract demonstrated a concentration-dependent activity at tested concentrations of 10–50 mg/ml. Piperazine citrate (10 mg/ml) was used as reference standard drug whereas distilled water as control. Determination of paralysis time and death time of the worms were recorded. Extract exhibited significant anthelmintic activity at highest concentrations, 50 mg/ml extract.