SUMMARY
The present study assessed the in vivo anthelmintic activity of the C. mollis leaf decoction extract when administered orally to naturally infected goats with gastrointestinal nematodes. To this, animals were randomized into three groups:non-treated, control (treated with doramectin 1mL/50 kg b.w.) and C. mollis extract treated groups (2.5mg/kg b.w.). Blood and faecal samples were collected from each animal at day 0, and 30th day posttreatment to monitor immunological and parasitological parameters. A significant faecal egg reduction (61.1%) and an increase in IgA and eosinophils levels were observed in the C. mollis extract treated group, in comparison to the untreated and doramectin groups. Considering that gastrointestinal nematode infections in small ruminants are serious problems in the world, causing economic losses worldwide, associated to high anthelmintic cost, resistance to available anthelmintics and residue problems in meat and milk for human consumption, the plant extract use is an area of interest to search new anthelmintic agents. Thus, Cratyliamollis Mart. Ex Benth, an important medicinal plant from Brazilian Northeast semiarid region, is used to treat different types of diseases, and as forage supplementation. Therefore, the data indicated the potential anthelmintic activity of C. mollis extract; further research is thereby warranted to assess its value for therapeutic purposes.
Keywords:
plant extract; parasiticidal; immune response; small ruminats
