**3.7** *Phyllanthus amarus* **Schum. and Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae)**

*P. amarus* is a small herb bearing ascending herbaceous branches normally found around coastal and muddy areas. The whole plant is used in the treatment of gonorrhea, menorrhagia and other urinary and sexually transmitted infections. It is useful in gastropathy, diarrhea, dysentery, intermittent fevers, ophthalmopathy, scabies, ulcers and wounds [83].

The methanolic extract (250 μg/mL) of *P. amarus* leaves exhibited moderate cercaricidal activity on freshly shed *S. mansoni* cercariae causing 100% mortality of cercariae within 180 mins of exposure (IC50 = 250.4 μg/mL). It was further established that at 125–1000 μg/mL, the extract caused a drastic reduction in the viability of adult worms [73].
