Abstract
With the aim to find new effective natural compounds for the control of nematodes, the in vitro anthelminthic properties of purified 1% saponins showing different chemical compositions and derived from Medicago sativa (MS), Medicago arborea (MA), Medicago polymorpha cultivar ‘Santiago’ (MPS), M. polymorpha cultivar ‘Anglona’ (MPA), and 1% prosapogenins from M. sativa (MSp), were evaluated and compared. As a source of nematode eggs, pooled fresh fecal samples taken from dairy donkeys naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes were used. From fecal samples, eggs were recovered, suspended in deionized water, and used immediately in the bioassay (egg hatch test). The activity of the tested compounds was compared to positive (0.1% thiabendazole) and negative (deionized water and 1% DMSO) controls. All experiments were repeated in triplicate and the obtained data were statistically analyzed. All the tested plant compounds caused a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of nematode egg hatching (>80%). Moreover, all saponins and prosapogenins showed in vitro anthelmintic properties statistically comparable to that of the reference drug (p < 0.05), except for MPS extract. Obtained results showed that the different Medicago saponins evaluated in this study possess high anthelmintic properties against gastrointestinal nematodes of dairy donkeys, although to a different extent depending on their composition.
Highlights
In recent years, the interest in the welfare and diseases of donkeys has considerably increased in Europe, mainly due to the popularity gained by donkey milk for human consumption and for the cosmetic industry [1]
Medicago saponin saponin extracts extracts used used in in this this study study showed showed aa compositional compositional profile which differed according to the plant species
The evaluation of the in vitro anthelmintic activity on donkey gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of saponins and prosapogenins from the different Medicago species was performed by using the egg hatch test (EHT), a test considered valid for the evaluation of the in vitro efficacy of drugs on these nematodes [13,14,31]
Summary
The interest in the welfare and diseases of donkeys has considerably increased in Europe, mainly due to the popularity gained by donkey milk for human consumption and for the cosmetic industry [1]. Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are frequently associated with the onset of disease, the expiry of physical conditions, and the decline in productive and reproductive performances [2]. These parasites, especially cyathostomins, are currently included among the most frequent and pathogenic nematodes of donkeys in Europe [2]. The use of drugs for the control of GIN that can be excreted in milk or that can persist in treated animals is limited in dairy donkey farms [4,5,6], there is a need to develop new and alternative control methods.
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