Abstract
Current antifilarial drugs DEC, albandazole, Ivermactin and other combination of drugs are not capable to control the filaria disease. So improved antifilarial drugs is required to control and management of the disease. Practice of herbal medicine in traditional medicine is well known but largely observed. In the present investigation, antifilarial activity was assessed for methanolic extracts of Aegle marmelos Corr. (Rutaceae) leaves against Setaria cervi filarial parasite. Activity was assessed by the method of motility inhibition and MTT reduction assay with concentrations 0.03 to 1.0 mgmL-1 for 2 to 24 hrs incubation periods respectively, by comparing with control. In motility assay, complete inhibition of motility was observed and in MTT reduction assay which gave >50% reduction for concentrations 0.25, 0.50 and 1.0 mgmL-1 at 10, 6 and 2 hrs incubation periods respectively in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05). Antifilarial effect given by plant extract was found to be a function of their relative concentrations. Inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the plant extract was found to be 0.168mgmL-1. Aegle marmelos Corr. leaves showed significant reduction in adult motility in dose dependent manner in such little concentration contributes to the development of database for novel antifilarial drug candidates.