A STUDY ON THE CYTOTOXIC SCREENING AND ANTIHELMINTHIC ACTIVITY OF PARTHENIUM HYSTEROPHORUS LINNAEUS.
Sujyoti Shakya*, Dharma Prasad Khanal, Bechan Raut, Prakriti Gautam, Sanjeev Dhakal and Nistha Shrestha
ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to investigate the cytotoxic property and antihelminthic activity of the weed
Parthenium hysterophorus. Parthenium hysterophorus, also known as Congress weed, is a common invasive and
poisonous weed, which can disrupt the ecosystem as well as can cause vigorous spreading throughout the year due
to its high germination capacity. Such a nuisance weed when studied properly can bring the new alternative source
for the development of new medicines and also helps to manage it properly. The extracts were subjected for
cytotoxic screening by using brine shrimp lethality assay and antihelminthic activity was conducted in earthworm
(Pheretima posthuma). The brine shrimp lethality assay revealed that the methanolic extract possess moderate
cytotoxic activity with LC50 value of 190.10μg/ml. The result obtained from the antihelminthic activity showed the
best paralysis time (8, 5 and 3 minutes) and best death time (38, 22 and 14 minutes of hexane extract at
concentration of 25, 50 and 100 mg/ml respectively and ethyl acetate extract showed the best paralysis time (6, 5
and 3 minutes) and best death time (37, 19 and 18 minutes) at same concentrations respectively whereas the
methanolic extract showed best paralysis time (11, 7 and 5 minutes) at the similar concentrations mentioned above
but did not cause death of any earthworm under our observation period. Hence, only hexane and ethyl acetate
extract showed good antihelminthic activity at all the concentrations mentioned above. This study concludes that it
could serve as a source of potent natural cytotoxic and antihelminthic agents. Therefore, this study gives the basis
for further investigation in future.
Keywords: Parthenium hysterophorus, Pheretima posthuma, brine shrimp lethality assay, antihelminthic activity, cytotoxic screening.
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