Determination of Anti-schistosomal Finger Profiles of Chenopodium ambrosoide Crude Extracts in BALB/c Mice Using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)

Abstract

Plants may contain ingredients that have anti-parasitic activity against parasites of medical siginificance. Chenopodium ambrosoides (Wormseed) a wide spread herb in the Family: Chenopodiacea was investigated for anti-schistosomal activity using, the human trematode parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, as the target. The plant is well known for its vermifuge and anti-helminthetic properties. The root, stem, leaves and fruit of the plant were extracted sequentially using n-hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and distilled water as solvents and tested for anti-schistosomal activity. TLC finger profiles mobile of C. ambrosoides extracts showed aqueous (leaf) extract had  more R_f spots than methanol (fruit) extract but they were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that Chenopodium ambrosoides aqueous (leaf) and methanol (fruit) extracts has remarkable anti-schistosomal properties, and should be investigated to determine their toxicity and also tested against other parasites as a source novel anti-parasitic compounds.

Keywords: R_f - Mobility Relative to front TLC - Thin Layer Chromatography