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Sunday 23 April 2017

Anthelmintic activity of plant extracts from Brazilian savanna.

2017 Mar 15;236:121-127. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.02.005. Epub 2017 Feb 20.


Author information

1
Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, CEP 65080-805 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
2
Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, CEP 65080-805 São Luís, MA, Brazil. Electronic address: livio.martins@ufma.br.
3
Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Departamento de Farmácia, CEP 65080-805 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
4
Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Departamento de Química, CEP 65080-805 São Luís, MA, Brazil.
5
UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Instituto de Biociências, Campus do Litoral Paulista, CEP 11330-900 São Vicente, SP, Brazil.

Abstract

Helminth infections represent a serious problem for the production of small ruminants that is currently aggravated by resistance to anthelmintic products and has induced a search for control alternatives, such as natural products. In this study, extracts of Turnera ulmifolia L. (leaves and roots), Parkia platycephala Benth. (leaves and seeds) and Dimorphandra gardneriana Tul. (leaves and bark), which have been cited in ethnoveterinary studies and selected naturally by goats in the cerrado (Brazilian savanna), were tested in vitro against Haemonchus contortus. Hydroacetonic (ACT) and hydroalcoholic (ETH) extracts were evaluated using an Egg Hatching Assay (EHA), a Larval Exsheathment Inhibition Assay (LEIA) and a Larval Development Assay (LDA). A second set of incubations was performed using polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) to determine the influence of polyphenols on the anthelmintic effects of EHA and LEIA. Data from each extract were used to calculate inhibition concentrations (IC50). All tested extracts showed activity against at least one life stage of H. contortus. The use of PVPP revealed that the tannins are not the only extracts of secondary metabolites responsible for the anthelmintic effects. The results showed clear in vitro anthelmintic activities against H. contortus at different stages and indicated the potential use of these species as a promising alternative approach to control helminthic infections of small ruminants.

KEYWORDS:

Haemonchus contortus; Natural product; Small ruminant