In vivo anticoccidial activity and immune response of Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina leaves against Eimeria magna and Eimeria media in rabbits.

Introduction: The aims of this study were to determine the immune response and the anticoccidial activity induced by Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina leaves in rabbits infected with Eimeria magna and Eimeria media. Methods: Thirty-five-day-old rabbits, free from coccidia, were infested with 2.103 oocysts of Eimeria magna and Eimeria media, then received the acetone extract of the leaves of Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina at different doses by oral gavage. Results and discussion: The inhibition of the excretion of oocysts was evaluated by the McMaster technique and the levels of cytokines (IL-4 and IL-12) and immunoglobulin IgG were assayed by the ELISA method. The in vivo efficacy on E. magna and E. media oocysts was 95.43% and 96.53% for Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina at 1000 mg/kg bw against 98% for the positive control. Interestingly the plant extracts increased the production of interleukin (IL) and immunoglobulins (Ig) compared to controls. Plasma IL-4 levels (pg/ml) in rabbits were 128.94 and 131.38; those of IL-12 (pg/ml) were 395.55 and 426.56, and then for those of IgG (µg/ml) were 14.70 and 13.94 respectively with the acetone extracts of Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina on D14 PT at 1000 mg/kg bw. This study indicates that Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina can be used as an alternative to synthetic anticoccidials. These plants could be used to increase the resistance of the immune system of rabbits to infestations of Eimeria species in rabbit farms.

Anthelmintic Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Phytochemical Screening of Plants Used to Treat Digestive Parasitosis of Small Ruminants in Benin (West Africa).

Medicinal plants continue to be used alone or in combination with veterinary drugs to treat animal ailments, especially in developing countries where livestock farmers often lack access to modern veterinary services and drugs. In addition, digestive parasitosis remain a major constraint for small ruminant livestock. The objective of this study was to screen the anthelmintic activity of the main plants used in the treatment of the digestive parasitosis of small ruminants in Benin. A total of 40 extracts were prepared using the successive maceration of 10 plants in four solvents of increasing polarity. The phytochemical screening of the plants was performed, and the anthelmintic activity of the extracts was evaluated on L3 larvae of Haemonchus contortus. The cytotoxicity of the 40 extracts was determined on WI38 noncancerous fibroblast cells using the MTT assay, and the total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and condensed tannin content (CTC) were quantified in the most effective extracts using colorimetric methods. The results show that the plants contained tannins, flavonoids, and triterpenoids which may, in part, justify their anthelmintic activities. All plants gave active extracts at the highest concentration tested (1200 µg/mL). Methanol (MeOH) extracts were, in general, more effective than the hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM), and aqueous (H2O) ones in inhibiting larval migration, with the MeOH extracts of Terminalia leiocarpa, Adansonia digitata, and Momordica charantia being the most effective. Nevertheless, the MeOH extract of M. charantia was highly cytotoxic at the concentration of 100 µg/mL. The anthelmintic activity of M. charantia, Vitex doniana, and Caesalpinia bonduc was studied on H. contortus for the first time. These results provide scientific information that can be used for better valorization of the anthelmintic potential of the studied plants and to initiate the process of the identification of new anthelmintic molecules.

Evaluation of the in vivo anthelmintic properties of Mitragyna inermis (Willd.) as a livestock dewormer against parasitic hematophagous worm Haemonchus contortus infections in different breeds of lambs.

Gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes remain a major constraint on livestock production throughout the world. This study assessed the in vivo efficacy of the powder of Mitragyna inermis leaves in three breeds of lambs, namely, West African dwarf lambs (WAD), West African long-legged lambs (WALL), and F1 lambs (cross of a WALL ram with a WAD ewe), artificially infected with 3000 L3s of Haemonchus contortus in a controlled experiment. Fecal sample examination, serological analysis, and necropsy were carried out to determine the egg count, worm burden, and worm fecundity reduction. A dose of 3.2 g/kg body weight (BW) M. inermis was administered per the oral route for three consecutive days and repeated 2 weeks later. Compared with the control, the powder of M. inermis leaves (> 60%) and albendazole (100%) significantly reduced (p < 0.01) fecal egg counts (FECs) in the three breeds of lambs. The posttreatment reduction in FECs fluctuated from 56.99 to 78.75% for WAD lambs, 38.39 to 66.39% for WALL lambs, and 35.55 to 63.11% for F1 lambs (WALL × WAD). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in packed cell volume values before and after infection. M. inermis reduced the egg-laying capacity of female adult worms by up to 60% and eliminated more than 80% of the adult worms of H. contortus in lambs. Furthermore, albendazole reduced the worm count and fecundity of female worms by greater amounts than M. inermis (100%). The findings of this study showed that M. inermis is a good source of bioactive compounds for drug development. According to this result, a 3.2 g/kg BW dose of the plant could be applied for the control of GI nematodes in small ruminants.