Aim of present study was to screen medicinal plants for flukicidal activity in vitro to develop alternative sources of treatment for trematodes infection. For this purpose, crude methanolic extracts (CME) of Cymbopogn jwarancusa and Conyza canadensis were prepared and live adult flukes viz; Fasciola gigantica, and Paramphistomum cervi isolated from liver and bile ducts of slaughtered buffalo were subjected to different drug concentrations as well as positive and negative control. Motility inhibition and paralysis leading to the death of parasites was considered as flukicidal activity of plants extracts. The results revealed that CME of C. jwarancusa and C. canadensis showed significant (P<0.05) flukicidal activity compared to positive control. Also there was a significant effect of different concentrations (P<0.05) and exposure of time on the flukes (P<0.05). Furthermore, ED50 for C. jwarancusa and C. canadensis against F. gigantica were 13.1 and 41.4 mg/ml, respectively. In the case of P. cervi, it was 10.8 and 29.0 mg/ml. It can be concluded that both tested plants showed greater flukicidal activity as compared to positive control with Albendazole till the 8th hr. These potent plants needs further studies invivo to elucidate their mode of action.

Scabies occurs in human due to the burrowing ectoparasite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis resulting in intense itching and inflammation, and manifesting as a skin allergy. Limited information is available about the genetic diversity of S. scabiei in human. In this study, we characterized S. scabiei var. hominis using nuclear marker ITS-2, mitochondrial marker 16S and microsatellite markers. To examine the extent of the genetic variation, individual mite gDNA was first amplified using ITS-2, 16S and microsatellite primers by PCR, later amplicons were sequenced directly and analysed by MEGA 7. Sequence analysis of ITS- 2 showed no host segregation and geographical isolation, whereas 16S indicated presence of both hosts adapted and geographically segregated populations of S. scabiei. Results of microsatellites revealed polymorphism as allelic variability between and within the populations studied. The different varieties of Sarcoptes mites belong to different host species and geographic regions recommended that Sarcoptes mites are genetically isolated. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of S. scabiei var. hominis from Pakistan. Additionally, genetic studies including a greater number of specimens are required to comprehend the molecular epidemiology of Sarcoptes mite in Pakistan.