Abstract
A preliminary study was carried out to find out modes of anthelmintic action of an alcoholic extract from a shrub, Diospyros mollis, popularly known as Ma-Klua in Thailand. Phosphatase activity of Hymenolepis nana was not significantly inhibited at the drug concentrations of 0.05 or 0.5 mg/ml, whereas the activity of Angiostrongylus cantonensis was lowered remarkably even at the concentration of 0.05 mg/ml. Protease activity of both helminths was inhibited in the increasing order of the concentrations of the drug added (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml). Absorption of glucose by H. nana and A. cantonensis was lowered by 87 and 100 per cent in the presence of Ma-Klua extract at the concentrations of 1.0 and 0.5 mg/ml respectively. These effects of the drug are discussed in relation to morphological studies on anthelmintic effect of the drug previously reported by other workers.
