SOME ANTHELMINTIC AND OTHER PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF DIETHYL ETHER EXTRACT OF THE SEEDS OF CARICA PAPAYA LINN
SOME ANTHELMINTIC AND OTHER PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF DIETHYL ETHER EXTRACT OF THE SEEDS OF CARICA PAPAYA LINN
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Date
1985-09
Authors
BILLEYA, JAMES PANINGA
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Abstract
The anthelmintic property of the extract of
Carical Papaya seeds against Nippostrongylus
braziliensis and Hymenolepls nana were studied using
rats. In addition, pharmacological properties of the
seed extract on skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscles
were investigated. The extract (0.5 - 2 g/kg) used
once daily for three days, or once followed by
purging with magnesium sulphate (4.6 g/kg) 2 and
2k hours later, did not show any activity against
N. braziliensis. The activity of bephenium
hydroxynapthoate (150 - 200 mg/kg) against
N. braziliensis. was significant.
On the other hand, the extract exhibited
activity both in vitro and in vivo against H. nana.
The LD50 for extract and niclosamide in vitro were
36 ug/ml and 120 ng/ml respectively. The extract
at concentrations above 100 ug/ml either paralysed
the worms or killed them. A similar effect was
observed with niclosamide (>1.9 ug/ml).
The activity of extract was significant at
concentrations above 0.5 g/kg when used once daily
for three days against H. nana. When used once,
followed by purging with magnesium sulphate, it was
significant at 1.0 g/kg and highly significant at
2.0 g/kg. Niclosamide (600 mg/kg) once daily for
three days showed complete deparasitization of all
the rats used. The results of the extract suggest
that it could be a cestocidal agent hut its use as
a general vermifuge is not justified in ankylostomiasis.
The extract (> 32 ug/ml) affects isolated
skeletal muscle preparations directly resulting in
permanent contracture, suggesting that it could be
acting at a point beyond the neuromuscular junction.
It is likely to be interfering with the process
involved in, either sequestering of released Ca2+
or the storage of Ca2+ thereby making Ca
continously available for sustained and irreversible
contracture.
The extract (0.5 mg/ml)contracted and
desensitized both oestrous and non-oestrous rat
uterine smooth muscle to oxytocin and acetylcholine.
The activity may be related to a possible effect of
the extract on the fluxes of calcium or other ions.
On the cardiac muscle, the extract (0.2 mg/ml)
produced initial positive chronotropic and
inotropic effects followed by gradual decrease in
force and rate of contraction of the heart. It also
desensitized the heart to acetylcholine and adrenaline.
The cardiac effect of the extract may be due to its
interference with enzyme systems (e.g. c-AMP, c-GMP)
responsible for the mobilization of Ca2+.
When acute toxica logical studies with chicks
and mice were conducted, the extract (2 g/kg) did
not produce any observable toxic effects.
BITC was qualitatively determined by its
hydrolysis to yield hydrogen sulphide and carbon
dioxide gases. It is therefore likely that the
observed effects of the extract in this project
may be principally attributed to BITC content of the
seed extract.
Description
A
THESIS
Submitted to
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT
FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOLOGY AND CLINICAL PHARMACY,
FACULTY OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
SEPTEMBER, 1985
Keywords
ANTHELMINTIC., PHARMACOLOGICAL,, ACTIONS,, DIETHYL,, ETHER,, EXTRACT,, SEEDS,, CARICA, PAPAYA,, LINN.