RESUMO
Herbal products such as essential oils may play a promising role in the treatment of infections caused by gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro potential of 11 essential oils (EOs) and one binary combination of isolated EO compounds, as well as the in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of two EO formulations. Four GIN genera were identified in the coproculture examination: Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Teladorsagia and Chabertia. The in vitro egg hatch test (EHT) was performed at six different concentrations (50, 12.5, 3.125, 0.781, 0.195 and 0.049 mg/mL) for each EO, whereas in the in vivo faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), each EO sample was diluted in sunflower oil and orally administrated at a dose of 100 mg/kg to the different group of animals. In the EHT, the EOs of Origanum vulgare, Foeniculum vulgare, Satureja montana, Satureja hortensis and two types of Thymus vulgaris were the most effective. The dominant compounds of these EOs were carvacrol, thymol, anethol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene, indicating their importance for the anthelmintic activity. In the FECRT, both T. vulgaris EO type 1 and linalool:estragole combination show an anthelmintic potential with a mean effect on FECR of approximately 25%. The results suggest the possible role of tested EOs as anthelmintic agents in sheep farms, although further in vivo tests are needed.
RESUMO
Cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis in dogs and other carnivores is caused by Dirofilaria immitis, while Dirofilaria repens usually causes a subcutaneous infection. The importance of red foxes and golden jackals in the epidemiology of dirofilariosis remains unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional molecular survey of Dirofilaria species in stray dogs, red foxes and golden jackals from the endemic region of Vojvodina, Serbia, in order to determine and update data on their prevalence and provide insight into the epidemiological importance of wild canids. A total of 59 blood samples from stray dogs, 94 from red foxes and 32 from golden jackals were collected and screened by real-time PCR targeting a 115-bp fragment of the mitochondrial 12S gene of filarioids and by conventional PCR assay targeting a 484-524-bp fragment of 5.8S-ITS2-28S locus of filarioids. The cross-sectional molecular survey detected the filarioid mitochondrial 12S gene fragment in stray dogs (27.1 %), red foxes (8.5 %) and golden jackals (6.3 %) in the same endemic region of Vojvodina, Serbia. Only D. immitis was detected in stray dogs, while both D. immitis and D. repens were detected in populations of red foxes and golden jackals. These results outline a possible interaction of D. immitis infection between the dog population and the wild canid populations, while D. repens was found to circulate mostly in golden jackals and red foxes populations.