Cuticular surface damage of Ascaridia galli adult worms treated with Veitchia merrillii betel nuts extract in vitro

Abstract

Aim: The objective of this research was to in vitro evaluate the cuticular surface damage of Ascaridia galli adult worms treated with ethanolic extract of betel nuts Veitchia merrillii.

Materials and methods: Phytochemical screening was done using FeCl₃, Wagner and Dragendorff reagents, NaOH, MgHCl, and Liebermann-Burchard reaction test. Amount of 16 worms were segregated into four groups with three replicates. Four worms of each group submerged into phosphate buffered saline, 25 mg/ml, and 75 mg/ml crude ethanolic extract of V. merrillii, and 15 mg/ml albendazole. The effect of these extract was observed 40 h after incubation as soon as worms death. The worms were sectioned transversally and were explored for any cuticular histopathological changes in their body surface under microscope.

Results: We found that the ethanolic extract of V. merrillii betel nuts contains tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and saponins. The ethanolic extract of betel nuts V. merrillii induces surface alterations caused cuticular damage of A. galli adult worms.

Conclusion: We concluded that ethanolic extract of betel nuts V. merrillii possess anthelmintic activity caused cuticular damage of A. galli adult worms.

Keywords: Ascaridia galli; Veitchia merrillii; anthelmintics; cuticle.

Figure-1

Photomicrograph of sections of Ascaridia galli adult worms (H and E, 10×). (a) Phosphate buffered saline: Appearance of epicuticle, cuticle, and muscle layer, (b) albendazole 15 mg/ml: Depletion epicuticle along with cuticle (thin arrow), damaged cuticle and muscle layer arrowhead), (c) ethanolic extract of Veitchia merrillii betel nuts 25 mg/ml: Depletion epicuticle along with cuticle (thin arrow), (d) ethanolic extract of betel nuts V. merrillii 75 mg/ml: Depletion epicuticle along with cuticle (thin arrow) and irregular shaped cuticle with disruption (thick arrow). ec=Epicuticle, c=Cuticle, ml=Muscle layer.