In-Vitro and in-Silico Assessement of Anthelminitic Activity of Fruit Peel From Annona Squamosa L.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the anthelmintic activity of the Annona squamosa L. (Annonaceae),fruit peel extract using adult earthworm (Pheretima Posthuma) and to assess the in-silico binding potential of fruit peel-derivedphytochemicals in comparison with the standard anthelmintic drug albendazole. Methods: Aqueous, ethanol and ethylacetate solvents were used to extract the fruit peel Annona squamosa L. anthelmintic activity was assessed by timing theworm’s paralysis and death at dosages of 20, 40 and 60mg/mL. To determine the main components, a preliminary phytochemical screening was conducted. For computational studies, 63 phytoconsistuents were screened for ADMEproperties, and 12 compounds were satisfying Lipinski’s rule of five were subjected to molecular docking using Swiss Dock.Albendazole was docked as the standard reference drug. Result: The anthelmintic activity of the ethanol extract was thehighest at 60mg/mL, but effect of the other extracts was moderate and varied on concentration. Phyto chemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, steroids, and glycosides. According to docking studies compound C1 demonstrated the highest binding affinity (-8.2700 kcal/mol) surpassing that of albendazole (-7.1069 kcal/mol) but a few other phytoconstituents displayed similar binding. Conclusion: From the work we conclude that traditional usage of Annona squamosa L. fruit peel for treating worm infestation has been validated. The comparative docking with albendazole suggests the possibility of some phytoconstituents as possible plant-based anthelmintic medicines and effective β-tubulin inhibitors.