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Anthelmintic efficacy of Achillea millifolium against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep: in vitro and in vivo studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2008

K.A. Tariq*
Affiliation:
Post Graduate Department of Zoology, The University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190 006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
M.Z. Chishti
Affiliation:
Post Graduate Department of Zoology, The University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190 006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
F. Ahmad
Affiliation:
Post Graduate Department of Zoology, The University of Kashmir, Srinagar-190 006, Jammu and Kashmir, India
A.S. Shawl
Affiliation:
Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Sanatnagar, Srinagar-190 005, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Abstract

Achillea millifolium Linn., commonly called ‘Pehl-ghasa’, is used by farmers in traditional animal health care as a vermifuge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of crude aqueous extracts and crude ethanolic extracts of entire A. millifolium against the gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. The worm motility inhibition assay was used for in vitro studies and faecal egg count reduction assay was used for in vivo studies. In vitro studies revealed significant anthelmintic effects of aqueous extracts and ethanolic extracts on live Haemonchus contortus worms (P < 0.05) as evident from their paralysis and/or death at 8 h post exposure. Aqueous extracts of A. millifolium resulted in a mean worm motility inhibition of 94.44%, while ethanolic extracts resulted in mean worm motility inhibition of 88.88%. The mean mortality index of aqueous extracts was 0.95 while for ethanolic extracts it was 0.9. The lethal concentration 50 was 0.05 mg ml− 1 for aqueous extracts and 0.11 mg ml− 1 for ethanolic extracts. The in vivo anthelmintic activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of A. millifolium demonstrated a maximum (88.40%) nematode egg count reduction in sheep treated with aqueous extracts at 2 g kg− 1 body weight on day 15 after treatment. Ethanolic extracts resulted in a maximum of 76.53% reduction in faecal egg counts on day 15 after treatment with 2 g kg− 1 body weight. Thus, the aqueous extracts exhibited greater anthelmintic activity under both in vitro and in vivo conditions, and could be due to the presence of water-soluble active principle/s in A. millifolium. It is concluded that the entire plant of A. millifolium possesses significant anthelmintic activity and could be a potential alternative for treating cases of helminth infections in ruminants.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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