Anthelminthic Activity of Piper nigrum , Albizia ferruginea , and Guarea cedrata Against Caenorhabditis elegans and Heligmosomoides polygyrus : In Vitro and In Silico Molecular Docking Approach

Background Gastrointestinal parasites, being members of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), infect over one billion individuals, about 24% of the global population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the deworming potential of Piper nigrum, Albizia ferruginea , and Guarea cedrata against Caenorhabditis elegans and Heligmosomoides polygyrus and to recommend their use in traditional medicine for the treatment of helminth infections. Methods The anthelmintic properties of the extracts were investigated in two nematode strains, Heligmosomoides polygyrus and Caenorhabditis elegans. The fresh coprocultured H. polygyrus L3 larvae and C. elegans L4 larvae bleached from adult worms were used to investigate the properties. Larval movement was monitored using a worm microtracker in a 96‐well microplate to quantify the anthelmintic action of the extracts. The extracts were screened at varying concentrations, with distilled water being the negative control and albendazole being the positive control. Percent inhibition of larval motility was calculated. Molecular docking studies were also carried out using the Glide module of Schrodinger Maestro software, and the results ranked and distinguished based on the software’s scoring function. Results The most active extract against H. polygyrus was the ethanolic extract of Piper nigrum (IC 50 :0.04 mg/mL) followed by the aqueous extract of Piper nigrum (IC 50 :0.08 mg/mL). Aqueous and ethanoic extracts of Piper nigrum were active against Caenorhabditis elegans L4 larvae with IC 50 s of 7.850 and 16.17 µg/mL, respectively, while aqueous extracts of Guarea cedrata and Albizia ferruginea were highly active with IC 50 s of 3.235 and 4.729 μg/mL, respectively. Leucokinin III, Leucokinin I, Leucokinin VIII, Leucokinin II, and Rebaudioside C from Albizia ferruginea are the most potent compounds against succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and β‐tubulin. Each of these constituents exhibited a more pronounced effect compared to the positive control, albendazole. Tricholein, isopiperolein B, pipercyclobutanamide, piperettine, and piperine from Piper nigrum are the most potent compounds against SDH and β‐tubulin. Conclusion This study has demonstrated in vitro and in silico the effectiveness of Piper nigrum, Albizia ferruginea, and Guarea cedrata toward helminthiasis. To validate this scientific investigation, more research is required, particularly on the acute toxicity and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy.