Abstract:
Bambusa vulgaris leaf is used traditional among the aborigines of South-Western Nigeria to manage intestinal helminths with paucity of scientific evidence to the practice. This study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activities of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of B. vulgaris leaf (at doses 10, 20 and 30 mg/ml) using adult African earthworm (Eudrilus eugeniae) which has similar anatomy and physiology to human intestinal helminths. Albendazole (commercial anthelmintic drug) was used as a standard reference and saline as control. Both extracts displayed concentration-dependent and significant (P<0.05) vermicidal activities against the worms. The paralysis time of aqueous fraction of the plant at 10, 20 and 30 mg/ml concentrations were respectively observed at 14.42, 9.01 and 8.53 min followed by death at 21.03, 14.59 and 12.43 min post-exposure. Methanolic fraction caused paralysis at 12.33, 8.27, 7.52 min and post-exposure death time of 21.12, 14.57, 10.29 min. Both extracts (at 20 and 30 mg/ml) were more effective in promoting paralysis and death of the earthworms than the 10 and 20mg/ml treatments of the standard reference drug (Albendazole). The observations from this study therefore suggest that the bioactive principles of B. vulgaris leaf extracts possess significant anthelminthic activity against E. eugeniae, and possibly potent against human intestinal helminths that has similar anatomy and physiology to E. eugeniae. The ethno-medicinal claim of B. vulgaris as anthelminthic plant is thus substantiated.

Keywords: African Earthworm, Bambusa vulgaris, Intestinal Helminths, Vermicidal Activities.