Abstract :
Piscicola geometra leeches are naturally parasitizing Cobia juveniles. The leeches adhere to cobia by suctioning and biting its surface, thereby facilitating the entry of a secondary infection. The anti-leech action An in vitro technique investigated the anti-leech action against Piscicola geometra using water extracts of Asparagus racemosus seeds and Anogeissus latifolia roxb leaves, preparing a grand total of 800 afflicted cobia leeches. We compared the anti-leech activity of water extracts from Asparagus racemosus seeds and Anogeissus latifolia leaves. We diluted the plant extracts to various concentrations and observed the activity over a duration of 96 hours. The seeds and leaves of Asparagus racemosus exhibited significant anti-leech activity, resulting in 80% of the leeches dying. Anogeissus latifolia leaves exhibited a greater degree of anti-leech action, resulting in the complete killing of leeches. The average duration required for Anogeissus latifolia leaves to immobilise and eliminate the leeches ranged from 8 hours to 96 hours, depending on the different concentrations of Anogeissus latifolia leaves used. This research has shown that the aqueous extract of Anogeissus latifolia leaves has strong potential as a novel anti-leech agent.
Keyword :
Anogeissus latifolia, Piscicola geometra, Asparagus racemosus, Antileech