title: Anthelmintic potential of three plants used in Nigerian ethnoveterinary medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The leaves of Irvingia gabonensis Baill. Ex Lanen (Irvingiaceae), Ficus exasperata Vahl (Moraceae), and Vernonia amygdalina Delile (Asteraceae) are folklorically used in treating worm infestation in Eastern Nigeria. The anthelmintic potential of the ethanol extracts of the leaves of I. gabonensis, F. exasperata, and V. amygdalina was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute toxicity tests were done in mice using 10, 100, and 1000 mg/kg/bw of extracts. In vitro larval assays of Heligmosomoides bakeri larvae at various extract concentrations (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) were done. Mice experimentally infected with H. bakeri were treated with F. exasperata extract (200, 400, 800 mg/kg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At concentrations of 500, 250, and 125 mg/ml F. exasperata caused 100% larval mortality. V. amygdalina extract caused 71.43, 57.14, and 57.14% larval deaths while I. gabonensis extract caused 71.43, 57.14, and 42.9% larval deaths at the same concentrations. There was no significant difference in the fecal egg output, packed cell volumes and body weights of the F. exasperata treated mice when compared with the infected untreated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leaf extracts of F. exasperata, V. amygdalina, and I. gabonensis exhibited varying degrees of larvicidal activities on the infective stage larvae of H. bakeri in vitro whereas F. exasperata showed no activity on the parasites in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Nwakaego_ernestina@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Nwakaego E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Nweze
authors.forename: Arinze
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogidi
authors.forename: Lucas A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ngongeh
authors.forename: Lukas A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ngongeh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000969:Antinematodal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D006369:Heligmosomatoidea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D029581:Malpighiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D009549:Nigeria; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011897:Random Allocation; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute; D035741:Vernonia / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D000969:Antinematodal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts