Live fowls (Gallus domesticus L.) were sacrificed using an overdose
of anaesthesia and upon necropsy, live tapeworms,
R. echinobothrida, were recovered from the intestines. The tapeworms
were collected in PBS and then incubated at 37 1 C.
Actively alive tapeworms with more or less the same body size
were selected and introduced into the different plant extract and
drug media. One group of tapeworms was maintained in a medium
containing only PBS with 1% DMSO to serve as control. Each
experimental assay consisted of 5 replicates. Motility and mortality
of the worms were observed, and duration of survival was recorded
as previously described.12,13 Death was substantiated by dipping
the tapeworms in tepid PBS (w45 C) that induced movement in
sentient worms.