In vitro fascioliscide activity of the raw extract of estafiate (Artemisia ludoviciana nutt. spp mexicana)

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the fascioliscide activity in vitro of some extracts of Estafiate (Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. spp mexicana) from different polarities, using different organic solvents (hexane, methanol and ethyl acetate) in tropical plants from Veracruz, Mexico. The evaluation was carried out in newly artificially excysted Fasciola hepatica metacercariae, incubated at 37ºC in sterile 24-well NUNC culture plates in 5% CO2 atmosphere. Each extract was tested by triplicate at concentrations of 125, 250, 375 and 500 mg/L, including always non-treated controls. The efficacy was assessed on the mortality rate based on the number of live and dead flukes after 24, 48 and 72 h post-exposure compared against the non-treated control using an inverted microscope at 40X. The results obtained indicated that after 24 hours the methanolic extracts and the ethyl acetate exerted an efficacy of 100% (p<0.05), while the hexanic extract showed an efficacy of 71%, reaching 100% at the 72 hours evaluation (p<0.05). It is concluded that all raw extracts from A. ludoviciana showed a promising efficacy in vitro against newly excysted flukes, suggesting that further work should be undertaken to identify the secondary metabolites responsible of this fascioliscide activity.