Biological Effect of Leaf Aqueous Extract ofCaesalpinia pyramidalisin Goats Naturally Infected with Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Roberto Robson Borges-Dos-Santos,Juceni Pereira David,Luciano C Santos,Fernanda Washington De Mendonça Lima,Jorge A López,Farouk Zacharias,Jorge Maurício David

doi:10.1155/2012/510391

Abstract

Forty-eight goats naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12): negative control (G1) (untreated), positive control (G2) (treated with doramectin, 1 mL/50 Kg b.w.), and G3 and G4 treated with 2.5 and 5 mg/Kg b.w. of a leaf aqueous extract of Caesalpinia pyramidalis (CP). Fecal and blood samples were regularly collected for the evaluation of fecal egg count (FEC), hematological and immunological parameters to assess the anthelmintic activity. In treated animals with CP, there was noted a significant reduction of 54.6 and 71.2% in the mean FEC (P < 0.05). An increase in IgA levels was observed in G3 and G4 (P < 0.05), during the experimental period, suggesting that it was stimulated by the extract administration. In conclusion, the results showed that CP provoked a protective response in infected animals treated with them. This response could be partly explained by the CP chemical composition.

Highlights

Goat herding is an attractive source of income for farmers in northeastern Brazil
The parasitological analysis indicated that the Caesalpinia pyramidalis (CP) extract exhibited anthelmintic activity in naturally infected goats, whose effectiveness was evidenced by the reduction in fecal egg count (FEC) as compared to the negative control group
The higher deviations on the determined FEC values were due to the traditional and extensive management practices in the Brazilian semiarid region; the goats were always exposed to a contaminated environment

Summary

Introduction

Goat herding is an attractive source of income for farmers in northeastern Brazil. gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) remain one of the greatest limiting factors to successful and sustainable livestock production worldwide [1]. In semiarid Brazilian region, haemonchosis causes severe economic losses in livestock production (e.g., weight loss, stunted growth, and death) [3]. Its control based on the use of commercial anthelmintics is no longer considered sustainable due to an increased prevalence of GIN resistance as well as chemical residue and toxicity problems [2]. For these various reasons, interest in the plant screening for their anthelmintic activity remains of great scientific interest despite extensive use of synthetic chemicals in modern clinical practices all over the world as an alternative source of anthelmintics [4,5,6]. There are several species of plants used by traditional communities in the Brazilian semiarid

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Conclusion