The anthelmintic efficacy of five plant products against gastrointestinal trichostrongylids in artificially infected lambs.
Forty-eight helminth-free lambs were divided into eight groups (A-H) of six animals. Groups A-G were infected artificially with 10,000 third stage larvae of Haemonchus contortus and 20,000 third stage larvae of Trichostrongylus colubriformis, whereas group H remained uninfected. Thirty days post-infection the lambs were treated orally with a single dosage of one of the following products: group A with 3 mg/kg body weight (BW) of an aqueous ethanol extract (70%, v/v) of the seeds of Azadirachta indica A. Juss syn. Melia azedarach L. (Meliaceae); group B with 1 g/kg BW of a raw powder of the leaves of Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. (Bromeliaceae); group C with 0.3 mg/kg BW of an aqueous ethanol extract of a 1:1 mixture (g/g) of Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. (Asteraceae) seeds and Embelia ribes Burm (Myrsinaceae) fruits; group D with 183 mg/kg BW of an aqueous ethanol extract of the whole plants of Fumaria parviflora Lam. (Fumariaceae); group E with 28 mg/kg BW of an aqueous ethanol extract of the seeds of Caesalpinia crista L. (Caesalpiniaceae); group F with 25 mg/kg BW of pyrantel tartrate and group G with 50% ethanol. Group H remained untreated. Only the ethanol extract of F. parviflora caused a strong reduction of the faecal egg counts (100%) and a 78.2 and 88.8% reduction of adult H. contortus and T. colubriformis on day 13 post-treatment. The extract was as effective as the reference compound pyrantel tartrate. Therefore, the ethanol extract itself or single constituents of F. parviflora could be a promising alternative source of anthelmintic for the treatment of gastrointestinal trichostrongylids in small ruminants.
Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland.
P
P
Hördegen
H
H
Hertzberg
J
J
Heilmann
W
W
Langhans
V
V
Maurer
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006188:Haemonchiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D006189:Haemonchus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000662:veterinary; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014253:Trichostrongylosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D014254:Trichostrongylus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
D000871:Anthelmintics; D010936:Plant Extracts