Antiallergic, anthelmintic and cytotoxic potentials of dried aerial parts of Acanthus ilicifolius L.

Abstract Background Acanthus ilicifolius L. is admired for its traditional usage in the folk medicine for the treatment of numerous diseases including allergy and helminthiasis in various parts of the planet. The ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of this shrub (EEAI) was investigated in the present study for its major phytochemical groups, antiallergic activity, anthelmintic activity, cytotoxicity and for acute toxicity. Methods Antiallergic activity was carried out using Toluene 2, 4-diisocyanate (TDI)-induced allergic mice model by assessing various symptoms of allergic rhinitis like sneezing, scratching, swelling and watery rhinorrhea as well as counting the total and differential leukocytes profile of blood. The paralysis and death time of parasites, Haemonchus contortus (Nematoda) and Paramphistomum cervi (Trematoda) were used for anthelmintic activity test. Mortality of mice was counted to evaluate the acute toxicity whereas the mortality of brine shrimp was taken into account to assess cytotoxic potential of the extract. Results Phytochemical screening of the extract demonstrated the presence of alkaloids, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, steroids and triterpenoids. Oral pretreatment of the extract significantly ameliorated the TDI-induced allergic symptoms like sneezing (p < 0.05), scratching (p < 0.05), swelling and watery rhinorrhea in experimental mice. The extract also reduced the differential count of leukocytes in the blood which was increased due to induction of allergic conditions through TDI sensitization. In anthelmintic activity test the extract revealed a dose dependent decrease in the relative index of paralysis and death for both H. contortus and P. cervi parasites and thus indicated the extract to be parasiticidal at higher concentrations. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay of toxicity assessment, the LC50 of the standard drug vincristine sulfate was 0.43 μg/mL whereas the extract showed the LC50 as 44.57 μg/mL indicating a promising cytotoxicity of the extract. In acute toxicity study the highest dose 3 g/kg failed to show any mortality in Swiss albino mice and thus confirmed the safety of the extract for in vivo administration. Conclusions The present study corroborated the traditional uses of the aerial parts of Acanthus ilicifolius L. in allergic diseases and in helminthiasis