Anthelmintic efficacy of Flemingia vestita (Fabaceae): alteration in the activities of some glycolytic enzymes in the cestode, Raillietina echinobothrida.

The crude root-peel extract of Flemingia vestita, genistein and praziquantel were tested against some selected glycolytic enzymes--hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), pyruvate kinase (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and malic enzyme (ME)--of the fowl tape worm, Raillietina echinobothrida. Following exposure to the various treatments, the activities of HK, PFK, PEPCK and LDH increased by 33-39%, 41-125%, 44-49% and 55-67%, respectively, and that of PK decreased by 14-26% in the parasite at the time of paralysis. The MDH and ME activities of the tissue homogenate were also found to be higher by 22-43% and 28-59%, respectively, in the treatments. However, whereas the activity of both cytosolic and mitochondrial MDH increased by 33-58% and 43-73%, respectively, the cytosolic ME activity showed an increase of 33-39%, and there was no significant enhancement in the mitochondrial ME activity. Histochemically, the enhancement in the activities of HK, LDH and MDH was clearly discernible. The enhanced glycolytic activity seems to be a function of anthelmintic stress caused by the phytochemicals.