Present study aims screening of anthelmintic activity of Boerhavia erecta Linn. Roots. Boerhavia erecta Linn roots were screened for in vitro anthelmintic activity. The powdered roots were extracted successively with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol by soxhlation and chloroform water by maceration. Preliminary phytochemical screening of five extracts was carried out. Indian adult earthworms Pheretima posthuma were used for carring out activity. The time required to paralyse and death was measured and compared with that of standards like Albendazole and Piperazine citrate. Methanol extract showed excellent in vitro anthelmintic activity (paralysis time and death time as 3.25±0.21 min. (mean ± SD) and 19.03±0.25 min. respectively comparable to standard albendazole (2.20±0.25 min. as paralysis time and 16.53±0.41 min as death time) at 20 mg ml-1 concentration. Tannins present in Boerhavia erecta may be responsible for its anthelmintic activity.
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