Efficiency of traditionally used South African plants against schistosomiasis

Urinary schistosomiasis is treated traditionally by means of herbal remedie s. Forty-eight South African plant species were identified as possible anti schistosomic plants. Twenty-one of these plant species were collected in or der to investigate their antischistosomal properties. Crude extracts of the plant materials were screened against the schistosomula of the species Sch istosoma haematobium. Cercariae were obtained from Bulinus africanus snails through an in vitro technique. By subjecting the cercariae to a sheering s tress, they were transformed into schistosomula. The schistosomula were pla ced into a culture medium to which the plant extracts were added. The resul ts obtained indicated that the plant extracts from Berkheya speciosa (Aster aceae), Euclea natalensis (Ebenaceae) and Trichilia emetica (Meliaceae) are lethal to the schistosomula. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.