In Vitro Anthelmintic Efficacy of Five Ethnomedicinal Plant Extracts Against Ascaris lumbricoides: Ovicidal, Larvicidal, and Adulticidal Activities

Abstract

The global rise in resistance to conventional synthetic anthelmintics underscores an urgent need for alternative therapeutic options. Ethnomedicinal plants represent a promising yet underexplored source of bioactive compounds capable of exerting multi-stage parasitic inhibition. This study evaluated the in vitro anthelmintic efficacy of ethanolic extracts from five West African medicinal plants namely Corchorus olitorius, Lagenaria siceraria, Mangifera indica, Newbouldia laevis, and Ocimum gratissimum against Ascaris lumbricoides, assessing ovicidal, larvicidal, and adulticidal activities. Extracts were tested at concentrations of 0.2–0.7 g/mL in egg hatchability, larval motility, and adult paralysis assays. Statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA with significance set at p < 0.05. All extracts displayed dose-dependent anthelmintic effects, with L. siceraria and C. olitorius demonstrating the most potent multi-stage activity. Phytochemical analyses identified alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and anthraquinones as potential active agents responsible for neuromuscular paralysis, membrane disruption, and oxidative stress in nematodes. These results substantiate the traditional use of these plants in ethnoveterinary medicine and highlight their potential as sustainable, plant-based alternatives to synthetic anthelmintics. Further isolation, characterization, and in vivo validation of active compounds are recommended to support drug development initiatives.