Evaluation of anthelmintic properties of some plants used as livestock dewormers against Haemonchus contortus infections in sheep

• Published in: Parasitology Vol. 129; no. 2; pp. 245 - 253
• Main Authors: GITHIORI, J. B., HÖGLUND, J., WALLER, P. J., BAKER, R. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.08.2004
• Subjects: Agriculture; Albendazole; Animals; anthelmintic; Anthelmintic agents; anthelmintic plants; anthelmintics; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; Drugs; Eggs; fecal egg count; Feces - parasitology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gastrointestinal nematodes; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Haemonchiasis - drug therapy; Haemonchiasis - veterinary; Haemonchus - growth & development; Haemonchus contortus; Hematocrit - veterinary; Herbal medicine; Infections; Invertebrates; Ivermectin; Kenya; lambs; Levamisole; Livestock; Livestock production; liveweight gain; Male; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; nematode control; nematode infections; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Parasitology; Phytotherapy - methods; Phytotherapy - veterinary; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant preparations; Plants, Medicinal; Proteins; Random Allocation; Research centers; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - drug therapy; Sheep Diseases - parasitology; traditional medicine; Veterinary medicine; worm count; Worms; Kenya; Africa; South Africa; Sweden; Asia; East Africa; anthelmintic; Haemonchus contortus; medicinal plants; Kenya; sheep; Anthelmintic; Parasite; Medicinal plant; Infection; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Ovis aries; Helmintha; Sheep; Nemathelminthia; Livestock; Artiodactyla; Invertebrata; Nematoda; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0031-1820; 1469-8161
• DOI: 10.1017/S0031182004005566

Gastrointestinal helminth infections remain a major constraint to livestock production globally. This study evaluated anthelmintic efficacy of 7 plants used as dewormers by farmers and pastoralists in Kenya. Thus 3 commercial anthelmintics and 7 plant preparations were tested in lambs infected with 5000 or 3000 L3 Haemonchus contortus in 4 experiments. In the first experiment, ivermectin, levamisole and albendazole were tested in 46 lambs. Seven plant preparations of Hagenia abyssinica, Olea europaea var. africana, Annona squamosa, Ananas comosus, Dodonea angustifolia, Hildebrandtia sepalosa and Azadirachta indica were tested in 151 lambs in 3 experiments. All 3 anthelminitics were highly effective in reducing faecal egg counts (FEC) and total worm counts (TWC) in lambs. Plant preparations had varying levels of crude proteins from 2·6% for O. europaea to 18·4% for A. indica. Compared with controls, no significant reductions in FEC were observed for any of the treated groups either 2 or 3 weeks post-treatment. Lambs treated with A. squamosa and A. comosus were slaughtered 4 weeks post-treatment. No significant differences were observed in mean TWC or number of eggs per female worm between treated animals and the controls. No significant improvements in weight gain were observed in treated lambs.