Screening of antioxidant and antifilarial activity of leaf extracts of Excoecaria agallocha L.

Organic solvent extracts of leaf of Excoecaria agallocha L., a mangal species from Bhitarkanika, Orissa were evaluated for antioxidant and antifilarial bioassays. Antifilarial activity of the methanol extract revealed a dose dependent positive response as evident from induction of death in the developmental stages of a metazoan filarial parasite Setaria digitata. The aqueous extract showed DPPH (2, 2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, reducing power and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, which increased with increase in concentration of the extract. The phenol content varies from 2.215±0.049 to 1.109±0.049 % dry weight (DW) and ascorbic acid ranges from 0.851±0.001 to 0.054±0.0002 % DW in different extracts respectively. The findings of the present study revealed that Excoecaria agallocha possesses a promising antioxidant property and antifilarial activity. This indicates that Excoecaria agallocha can be a potential source of agents that can be used not only for meeting the oxidative stress generated during chronic manifestation of lymphatic filariasis in human beings but also for blocking embryogenesis in filarial parasites which in turn can potentially affect their transmission and survival in host communities.