V3I7P19

Phytochemical Basis of Siddha Vermifuge Plants: A Materia Medica Review

Karthikaa T^1*

Abstract

Background: Intestinal helminthiasis remains a major neglected tropical disease affecting approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Although benzimidazole-based mass drug administration programs have substantially reduced disease burden, concerns regarding drug resistance, incomplete efficacy, and recurrent infections necessitate the exploration of alternative anthelmintic agents. The Siddha system of medicine describes a group of medicinal plants collectively known as Puzhuvagatri (vermifuge), traditionally employed for the management of intestinal parasitic infections. Objective: This review aimed to critically evaluate the phytochemical constituents and experimentally validated anthelmintic mechanisms of medicinal plants classified as Puzhuvagatri in classical Siddha literature and to assess the extent to which modern scientific evidence supports their traditional therapeutic applications.                  Methods: Classical Siddha texts, including Materia Medica, Siddha Formulary of India, and Therapeutics of Siddha Medicine, were systematically reviewed to identify vermifuge medicinal plants. Botanical identities were authenticated using recognized taxonomic databases. Scientific evidence was retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and ResearchGate using keywords related to phytochemistry, anthelmintic activity, vermifuge, and antiparasitic mechanisms. Available experimental studies on phytoconstituents, crude extracts, and pharmacological activities were critically analyzed. Results: Twelve medicinal plants traditionally indicated as vermifuge agents were identified. Several species, including Butea monosperma, Embelia ribes, Trachyspermum ammi, and Vitex negundo, demonstrated substantial experimental evidence supporting their traditional use. Their bioactive constituents—including palasonin, embelin, thymol, and vitexin—exert anthelmintic effects through multiple mechanisms such as inhibition of glucose metabolism, disruption of parasite membranes, neuromuscular paralysis, β-tubulin interaction, oxidative stress induction, and ovicidal activity. Other plants exhibited mechanistically plausible but less extensively validated activities involving membrane permeabilization, protein precipitation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and stimulation of intestinal motility. The traditional Siddha practice of administering a purgative following vermifuge therapy closely parallels modern pharmacological strategies that combine parasite immobilization with enhanced gastrointestinal clearance. Conclusion: Contemporary phytochemical and pharmacological evidence substantially support several classical Siddha Puzhuvagatri medicinal plants as promising sources of multitarget anthelmintic agents. While some species require further mechanistic and clinical validation, their diverse bioactive constituents and complementary modes of action highlight their potential for future anthelmintic drug discovery and evidence-based integration into modern healthcare.

Keywords:

Siddha Medicine; Vermifuge; Helminthiasis; Phytochemistry; Anthelmintic Activity.