In vivo assessment of the antiparasitic effects of Allium sativum L. and Artemisia absinthium L. against gastrointestinal parasites in swine from low-input farms.

BACKGROUND: Ethno-veterinary practices could be used as a sustainable developmental tool by integrating traditional phytotherapy and husbandry. Phytotherapeutics are available and used worldwide. However, evidence of their antiparasitic efficacy is currently very limited. Parasitic diseases have a considerable effect on pig production, causing economic losses due to high morbidity and mortality. In this respect, especially smallholders and organic producers face severe challenges. Parasites, as disease causing agents, often outcompete other pathogens in such extensive production systems. A total of 720 faecal samples were collected in two farms from three age categories, i.e. weaners, fatteners, and sows. Flotation (Willis and McMaster method), modified Ziehl-Neelsen stained faecal smear, centrifugal sedimentation, modified Blagg technique, and faecal cultures were used to identify parasites and quantify the parasitic load. RESULTS: The examination confirmed the presence of infections with Eimeria spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Balantioides coli (syn. Balantidium coli), Ascaris suum, Oesophagostomum spp., Strongyloides ransomi, and Trichuris suis, distributed based on age category. A dose of 180 mg/kg bw/day of Allium sativum L. and 90 mg/kg bw/day of Artemisia absinthium L. powders, administered for 10 consecutive days, revealed a strong, taxonomy-based antiprotozoal and anthelmintic activity. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlighted the therapeutic potential of both A. sativum and A. absinthium against gastrointestinal parasites in pigs. Their therapeutic effectiveness may be attributed to the content in polyphenols, tocopherols, flavonoids, sterols, sesquiterpene lactones, and sulfoxide. Further research is required to establish the minimal effective dose of both plants against digestive parasites in pigs.

Satureja hortensis L. and Calendula officinalis L., Two Romanian Plants, with In Vivo Antiparasitic Potential against Digestive Parasites of Swine.

Internal parasitic diseases of swine constitute a major welfare and health concern in low-input livestock farming. Due to an increase in chemical resistance, phytotherapeutic remedies have become an alternative for the prophylaxis and therapy of digestive parasitosis, albeit few remedies have been subjected to scientific validation. Low-input swine farming in Romania has adopted the traditional use of phytotherapy for controlling pathogens in livestock. The current study aimed to assess the antiparasitic potential of Calendula officinalis and Satureja hortensis against digestive parasites of swine in two low-input farms. The fecal samples were collected from sows, fatteners, and weaners, and were tested using the following coproparasitological methods: centrifugal sedimentation, flotation (Willis, McMaster egg counting technique), Ziehl-Neelsen stain modified by Henricksen, modified Blagg method, and in vitro nematode larvae/protozoan oocyst cultures. Six species of digestive parasites were diagnosed, namely Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Oesophagostomum spp., Balantioides coli, Eimeria spp., and Cryptosporidium spp., in various combinations, dependent on the swine category. A dose of 140 mg/kg bw/day of C. officinalis and 100 mg/kg bw/day of S. hortensis powders administered for 10 consecutive days revealed a strong antiprotozoal and anthelmintic activity on the aforementioned parasites. The curative efficacy can be attributed to the presence of polyphenols, sterols, tocopherols, and methoxylated flavones. In conclusion, our results indicate that S. hortensis and C. officinalis are promising alternatives to the commercially available antiparasitics, enabling their use as natural antiparasitic products against gastrointestinal parasites in pigs.

The Effects of Coriandrum sativum L. and Cucurbita pepo L. against Gastrointestinal Parasites in Swine: An In Vivo Study.

Parasitic diseases are responsible for substantial losses in reproduction and productivity in swine, creating a major impairment to efficient and profitable livestock management. The use of phytotherapeutic remedies has notably increased over the past decade due to their bioavailability, decreased toxicity, non-polluting nature, and to some extent due to their antiparasitic effect. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiparasitic potential of Cucurbita pepo L. and Coriandrum sativum L. against protozoa and nematodes found in swine. The samples were collected from weaners, fatteners, and sows and examined via flotation (Willis and McMaster), active sedimentation, Ziehl-Neelsen staining as modified by Henricksen, a modified Blagg method, and eggs/oocyst culture. The parasite species detected were Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Oesophagostomum spp., Balantioides coli (syn. Balantidium coli), Eimeria spp., and Cryptosporidium spp., depending on age category. A dose of 500 mg/kg bw/day of C. pepo and 170 mg/kg bw/day of C. sativum powders, administered for ten consecutive days, demonstrated a pronounced anthelmintic (pumpkin) and antiprotozoal (coriander) effect against the aforementioned parasites. Future studies are required to ascertain the optimal dose that maximizes their antiparasitic effectiveness. The current study represents the first Romanian report on the in vivo antiparasitic activity of these two plants tested on digestive parasites in swine.

The In Vitro Anticoccidial Activity of Some Herbal Extracts against Eimeria spp. Oocysts Isolated from Piglets.

Coccidiosis in pigs seldom results in important economic losses. However, it can influence growth rates in weaners and it is an important hygiene indicator in swine farms. Certain herbs, along with their extracts, have been used over the course of history in traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anticoccidial effects of Allium sativum L. (garlic), Artemisia absinthium L. (wormwood), Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander), Cucurbita pepo L. (pumpkin), Satureja hortensis L. (summer savory), and Calendula officinalis L. (marigold) against Eimeria suis and Eimeria debliecki oocysts. The stock solution of oocysts (58% E. suis + 42% E. debliecki) was incubated for three days, before adding the tested solutions. The unsporulated Eimeria spp. oocysts were then placed in a 3 mL well plate and incubated for 96 h at 27 °C, in a suspension containing serial dilutions of alcoholic plant extracts (5%, 2.5%, 1.25%, 0.625%, and 0.312%). The percentage of sporulated and destroyed oocysts was recorded every 24 h for 96 h. All extracts had a good in vitro anticoccidial effect against oocysts of Eimeria spp. compared with the control groups. Oocyst sporulation was significantly (p = 0.05) inhibited by the 5% marigold extract (3.6% sporulated oocysts). The same extract had the highest lytic effect on oocysts (65.2% destroyed oocysts). Our results prove that the most effective alcoholic plant extract is the marigold extract, followed, in order of efficiency, by the wormwood, coriander, garlic, pumpkin, and summer savory extracts. This study represents a preliminary contribution for establishing a new generation of natural disinfectants aimed at destroying Eimeria oocysts in the context of swine contamination.

The Effects of Allium sativum L., Artemisia absinthium L., Cucurbita pepo L., Coriandrum sativum L., Satureja hortensis L. and Calendula officinalis L. on the Embryogenesis of Ascaris suum Eggs during an In Vitro Experimental Study.

Ascaris suum is present in traditionally managed indoor pig herds and in industrialized farms, especially in older fatteners and sows. The increasing resistance to common antihelminthic drugs redirected research towards alternative and traditional therapies, which also include medicinal plants. This study comparatively evaluated the in vitro antiparasitic effects of Allium sativum L., Artemisia absinthium L., Cucurbita pepo L., Coriandrum sativum L., Satureja hortensis L. and Calendula officinalis L. against A. suum egg hatching and larval development. A. suum eggs were sampled from randomized fecal specimens collected from traditionally raised swine. The egg suspension (ES, 12 × 103/mL) was divided into two controls (C) (1C-1 mL ES + 1 mL distilled water, 2C-five plates of 1 mL ES + 1 mL ethanol of 70%, 35%, 17.5%, 8.75%, and 4.375%, respectively) and six experimental groups, and placed in 3 mL cell plates. The experimental groups (EG, 1-6) included ES + each alcoholic plant extract (10%, 5%, 2.5%, 1.25%, 0.625%). Both C and EG were performed in quintuplicate. All variants were incubated at 27 °C for a total of 21 days. A. suum eggs were examined after 2, 14 (L1), and 21 (L2/L3) days of incubation. The efficacy of all tested plant extracts increased with concentration. Anti-embryogenic effects on A. suum eggs were expressed by all plants. A superior influence was observed in A. sativum L., A. absinthium L., C. pepo L. and S. hortensis L. extracts, at all concentrations tested. A. sativum L. and A. absinthium L. extracts showed the strongest antihelminthic activity, while C. sativum L. and C. officinalis L. were the weakest ascaricids. Future in-depth phytochemical studies are required to identify the compounds responsible for the anthelminthic properties of these plant species.