Abstract:
The present study reports on the antifilarial activity of a marine sponge Haliclona exigua (phylum-Porifera). The crude methanol extract and n-butanol soluble fraction killed adult B. malayi at 31.25μg/ml concentration (both in motility and MTT assay) while the chloroform fraction was lethal at a lower conc. of 15.6μg/ml. The activity could be located in a single molecule araguspongin C which brought about mortality of worm at 15.6μg/ml. In vivo evaluation of the crude extract (5x500mg/kg,orally) and the chloroform fraction (5x250mg/kg,orally) in Brugia malayi infected rodent host, Mastomys coucha did not show any significant microfilaricidal actions, however, microfilarial densities in both the treated groups were significantly much lower than those of untreated group in contrast to standard filaricide diethylcarbamazine (DEC) which exerted 79% microfilaricidal action on day 8 of treatment. Both these extracts also demonstrated adulticidal (macrofilaricidal) activity which was more pronounced in the chloroform fraction (50.2%). In addition, there was moderate adverse effect on the reproductive potential of female worms (crude extract: 46.5%; chloroform: 58.6 %). The findings suggest that the marine sponge H. exigua possesses adulticidal and embryostatic action against human lymphatic filarial parasite B. malayi in experimental rodent model and this activity could be attributed to the presence of araguspongin C.
