Anthelmintic activity of Swertia chirata against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep.

This paper describes in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activities of Swertia chirata. In vitro studies revealed that at 25 mg/ml (P>/=0.05) the crude aqueous (CAE) and methanolic extracts (CME) of S. chirata whole plant showed an anthelmintic effect on live Haemonchus contortus. Moreover, in the in vivo study, the whole plant of S. chirata administered as crude powder (CP), CAE and CME at the dose of 3 g/kg to sheep naturally infected with mixed species of gastrointestinal nematodes, showed a significant reduction in egg per gram of faeces.