Anthelmintic efficacy of Acacia concinna against paramphistomes in naturally infected sheep

Abstract

Diseases caused by helminth parasites in livestock continue to be a major productivity constraint, especially in small ruminants in the tropics and subtropics. Infections by paramphistomes are one of the most common and economically important diseases of grazing livestock. Anthelmintic resistance to chemotherapeutics is widespread and a serious threat to effective control of helminth infections. Therefore, phytomedicine with anti-parasitic properties offer an effective alternative. The present study was conducted to assess the anthelmintic effect of the aqueous extract of pods of Acacia concinna (AcPE) at various concentrations (5, 10 and 20 mg ml−1) against paramphistome infection in sheep. Eggs per gram (EPG) count and haemobiochemical parameters of sheep treated with A. concinna were investigated. In AcPE-treated sheep, the egg counts reduced significantly on day 7 post-treatment and continued to decrease further, till the end of the experimental period, i.e. day 21 post-treatment. The degree of reduction in EPG counts following oral administration with AcPE was proportional to dosage and duration after treatment. The maximum reduction (97.41%) was observed on day 21 after treatment with 20 mg ml−1 extract. The haematological and biochemical profiles of paramphistome-infected sheep revealed anaemia and hypoproteinemia. Restoration of normal haematobiochemical profile was observed in sheep after treatment with AcPE.