Abstract:
Helminthes infestation has been recognised as a major constraint to livestock production. Increasing anthelmintic
resistance and the impact of conventional anthelmintics on the environment has led to increased interest on
ethnobotanical approach to come up with new novel compounds. The synthetic drugs are toxic, expensive and
sometimes beyond reach of most rural small holder farmers and pastoralists. The economic losses due to
helminthes infestation are enormous and unnecessary since they are preventable. The aim of this study was to test
for in vitro anthelmintic activities of the test plants with the aim of formulating a novel herbal anthelmintic drug
for ruminants. Egg hatch inhibition (EHI) tests were done to test for in vitro anthelminitic activities of ethanolic
extracts of Entada leptostachya, Albizia anthelmintica and Prosopis juliflora. Graduated doses of between 0.5 and
6 mg/ml were prepared using distilled water as solvent. Fresh nematode eggs were harvested using simple salt
floatation method and eggs of mixed nematode species of Haemonchus spp.,Trichostrongyle spp. and
Oesophagostomum spp. were obtained. The in vitro anthelmintic activities of the plant extracts were compared to
albendazole. Entada leptostachya inhibition was 91% and 100% and was comparable to albendazole which was
98% and 100% at 2 and 6 mg/ml respectively. Albizia anthelmintica showed 100% inhibition and was comparable
to albendazole whose inhibition was 100% at 6mg/ml. Prosopis juliflora inhibition was 100% and 97% and was
comparable to albendazole whose inhibition was 98% and 100% at 2 and 6mg/ml respectively. All the three test
plants showed lower inhibitory anthelmintic activities at the lower concentrations compared to albendazole. The
ethanolic extracts of the three plants have potential as novel anthelmintic drugs for gastro-intestinal nematodes.
