Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of alcoholic extract of Allium sativum and Piper longum on the muscular activity of a parasitic amphistome, Gigantocotyle explanatum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Amphistomes were isometrically mounted to record the spontaneous muscular activity by using Chart 4 software program (Power Lab, AD Instruments, Australia) and to examine the effects of cumulative doses (100, 300, 1000, and 3000 μg/ml) of the plant extracts on the amplitude (g), frequency (per 10 min), and baseline tension (g) of the spontaneous muscular activity of the amphistome. RESULTS: Alcoholic extract of A. sativum produced significant reduction in the frequency and amplitude of contractile activity of the amphistome at 1000 and 3000 μg/ml bath concentrations. Complete paralysis of the amphistome was observed after 15 min of addition of 3000 μg/ml concentration. Alcoholic extract of P. longum also caused paralysis following 15-20 min exposure of the amphistome to 3000 μg/ml concentration. In both the cases the amphistomes did not recover from paralysis following 2-3 washes. CONCLUSION: The observations demonstrate the paralytic effect of alcoholic extract of A. sativum and P. longum on G. explanatum.