CONTROL OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL NEMATODES IN RUMINANTS USING PLANT EXTRACTS

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.