In Vitro Anthelmintic Effects of Medicinal Plants Used in Czech Republic

The ethanol extracts of 16 Czech medicinal plants, namely, Allium sativum L. (Alliaceae), Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), Artemisia vulgaris L. (Asteraceae), Carum carvi L. (Apiaceae), Consolida regalis Gray (Ranunculaceae), Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae), Daucus carota L. (Apiaceae), Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott (Dryopteridaceae), Erigeron canadensis L. (Asteraceae), Hedera helix L. (Araliaceae), Inula helenium L. (Asteraceae), Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae), Satureja hortensis L. (Lamiaceae), Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae), Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae), and Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae), have been tested for their potential in vitro anthelmintic effect against eggs Ascaris suum and infectious larvae Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The extracts of A. sativum, A. absinthium, C. carvi, D. carota, and J. regia possessed the strongest anthelmintic effect on the embryonating eggs at all concentrations tested (62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 mu g/mL). The best results, showing a higher effect against the infective third-stage larvae in comparison with synthetic anthelmintic Zentel (albendazole), have been obtained for A. sativum, A. absinthium, C. carvi, C. regalis, I. helenium, J. regia, S. hortensis, and V. officinalis.