Abstract
Plant products are a rich source of bioactive organic chemicals and offer an advantage over synthetic pesticides as these are less toxic, less prone to development of resistance and easily biodegradable. The present study aimed at screening the acaricidal potential of crude methanolic and aqueous extracts of Schinus molle (L.) leaves on the adult Bophilus decoloratus and Rhipicephalus pulchellus cattle ticks, using in vitro immersion method. Freshly collected adult ticks were exposed to three graded concentrations of the crude extracts; 1% (1g/100ml), 2% (1g/50ml), and 4% (1g/25ml) for 24 h and mortality rates were recorded post exposure for each concentration every 3 h. Diazinon (0.2%) and distilled water were used as positive and negative controls respectively. Acaricidal activities of each concentration were measured by mean number of ticks died and antiparasitic efficacy (%) relative to the negative control. Analysis result indicated that highest (4%) and middle (2%) concentrations of both extracts caused a statistically significant (P<0.05) killing effect on R. pulchellus and B. decoloratus for most of the observation hours as compared to the extract unloaded in vitro groups. The relative antiparasitic efficacy (%) was highest for 4% concentration of both extracts (100%). The standard acaricide failed to completely eliminate the parasites after 24 h of exposure although it showed a slightly better effect against B. decoloratus (96.7%) compared to R. pulchellus (93.3%). Put together, this finding showed that the crude extracts of the plant have promising acaricidal properties and warrant further investigation. Key words: Acaricidal, crude extracts, Boophilus decoloratus, Rhipicephalus pulchellus, Schinus molle.
Highlights
Ticks are destructive blood sucking ecto-parasites of livestock and wild animals species causing huge economic losses, creating food insecurity (Habeeb, 2010), with an estimated global cost of control and productivity losses of 7 billion US-Dollar annually (Nchu et al, 2012)
The analysis result indicated that both extracts of leaves of S. molle produced a relatively comparable acaricidal effects against both species of ticks when compared with the conventional acaricide, diazinon
As measured by mean number of ticks died and antiparasitic efficacy (%), the methanolic extract appeared to be superior to the aqueous extract in eliminating both R. pulchellus and B. decoloratus ticks under the employed in vitro condition (Figure 1)
Summary
Ticks are destructive blood sucking ecto-parasites of livestock and wild animals species causing huge economic losses, creating food insecurity (Habeeb, 2010), with an estimated global cost of control and productivity losses of 7 billion US-Dollar annually (Nchu et al, 2012). Their effects are diverse, including reduced growth, milk production, paralysis/toxicosis, and transmission of tick-borne pathogens that reduce production or cause mortality, extensive damage to body surfaces exposing animals to secondary attacks from other. The use of ethno-veterinary botanicals is sustainable and ecologically sound because the plants are locally available, potentially easy to be produced, locally processed and used by farmers themselves (Habeeb, 2010)
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