Industrial Innovations

The lead molecule, a monoterpene with phenolic properties has been identified from Trachyspermum ammi, an indigenous medicinal plant. Trachyspermum ammi (Family: Apiaceae) is a perennial shrub found growing throughout India. The methanolic extract of the fruits of this plant yielded a monoterpene with phenolic properties which when tested in vitro against adult worms of Setaria digitata, the filarial parasite of cattle, resulted in more than 80% immobilization of the worms at an incubation period of 2 hr and the activity was confirmed by MTT reduction assay. The novel composition comprising of one or more derivatives of this molecule may result in a potential macrofilaricide.