Use of herbal medicines in control of gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants: efficacies and prospects

Abstract

It is mainly due to the resistance to conventional anthelmintics representing a barrier, being a constant challenge to search for new bases in the control of these parasites.Thus the use of phytotherapics becomes viable alternative in the fight against gastrointestinal nematodes, beyond promoting slow development of the resistance, it is biodegradable and does not cause environmental contamination. Thereby, the review aims to address the main results obtained in research on herbal drugs effective in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of small ruminants. Animal (v.7, n.2) p. 233 -249 (2013) 234 fitoterápicos torna-se alternativa viável no combate aos nematódeos gastrintestinais por promover um desenvolvimento lento da resistência, ser biodegradável e não causar contaminação ambiental. Desse modo, esta revisão visa abordar os principais resultados obtidos em pesquisas com fitoterápicos no controle de nematódeos gastrintestinais de pequenos ruminantes.Palavras-chave: anti-helmínticos; plantas medicinais; nematódeos gastrintestinais; pequenos ruminantes. _______________________ *Autor para correspondência:

Anthelmintic Properties of Essential Oils to Control Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Sheep—In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

“…Nevertheless, the finding that there were no observed toxic effects on tested animals allows an opportunity for an increased dose in future trials to reach a higher efficacy. The obtained results and demonstrated efficacy should not be neglected since they suggest that these plant products, coupled with other methods, may still play a significant role in an integrated approach for nematode control in ruminants, in case they are proven ineffective as independent products [40,41]. Furthermore, our research group has already made new experimental efforts with the evaluation of the in vivo efficacy of other highly effective in vitro EOs from the present study (data not shown).…”

“…Firstly, EOs have a rich chemical composition of various bioactive compounds with huge pharmacological potential [14], which can lead to high activity against nematodes, as shown in our in vitro study. Furthermore, a large number of compounds in EOs that belong to different chemical classes may contribute to a reduced susceptibility to resistance [14,41]. Some reports state that botanical anthelmintics may be considered well tolerated by animals from the toxicology perspective and are related to the low amount of residues in meat and milk [33].…”

“…In vitro studies, wherein the EHT is one of the most frequently used and recommended tests [39], have an advantage due to their speed, low cost, high reproducibility, ease of application and lack of experimental animals [33]. Therefore, these tests are very useful for the initial evaluation of anthelmintic potential in new active substances, which in turn leads to further studies [41]. However, in vivo studies, whereby an FECRT is the method of choice for monitoring of anthelmintic efficacy [42], provide clearer data on efficacy and the possibilities for application in practice.…”

“…The highest inhibitory effect on egg hatchability was shown by EOs of O. vulgare, F. vulgare, S. montana, S. hortensis and both T. vulgaris samples wherein all tested concentrations showed either a maximum effect or activity higher than 95%. The criteria for in vitro testing, whereby samples with efficacy greater than 90% can be considered effective for the control of nematodes including GINs [14,40,41], was set up by the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP). According to these criteria, mentioned EOs may present a very promising research subject for further studies.…”

4-Ethylbenzaldehyde from the volatilome of Annona muricata against Meloidogyne incognita

“…The leaves have phytotherapeutic properties against oxidative stress, diabetes, neuralgia, arthritis, malaria, in ammation, tumours and cancer. In addition, several studies have shown that soursop has an anthelmintic effect against parasites of small ruminant animals [6,7,8]. Some studies demonstrated the nematicidal and antifungal activities of acetogenins isolated from Annonaceae, making these compounds a promising source for new molecules for the development of potential botanical nematicides and fungicides [9].…”