Abstract
Bioactive molecules of plant species are promising alternatives for the chemical control of gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. Extracts of native and exotic seed species from Brazil's semi-arid region were tested in vitro in an egg hatch assay and the bioactivity of their proteins was investigated. Each seed species was subjected to three extractions with three types of solvents. All the seeds showed ovicidal activity, which varied according to the solvents. Higher ovicidal activity was found in the molecule fractions of low molecular weight (<12 kDa) for Albizia lebbeck, Ipomoea asarifolia, Jatropha curcas, Libidibia ferrea, Moringa oleifera and Ricinus communis (P<0.05, Bonferroni test). The two fractions of Crotalaria spectabilis showed the same ovicidal activity (P>0.05, Bonferroni test). Hemagglutinating activity was detected in the fractions of C. spectabilis and M. oleifera fractions, hemolysin activity in the A. lebbeck and M. oleifera fractions, serine protease inhibitory activity in the A. lebbeck, I. asarifolia, J. curcas, M. oleifera and R. communis fractions, cysteine protease inhibitor activity in the M. oleifera fraction, and no protein activity in the L. ferrea fraction. The results of this work reveal new plant species with a potential for use in controlling nematode parasites in goats, thus opening a new field of research involving plant protein molecules with ovicidal properties.
Highlights
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in domesticated livestock are of major global economic importance
The seeds in question, which came from Albizia lebbeck, Crotalaria spectabilis, Ipomoea asarifolia, Jatropha curcas, Libidibia ferrea, Moringa oleifera and Ricinus communis, were collected from plants growing in the wild or cultivated at EMBRAPA’s Goat and Sheep farm, as authorized by IBAMA – Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Permit # 02/2008, process 02001.008512/2011-09)
The seed protein content differed between plants, with I. asarifolia showing the highest protein content and A. lebbeck, J. curcas and L. ferrea the lowest, regardless of the extraction solvent used (Figure 1)
Summary
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in domesticated livestock are of major global economic importance. The control of gastrointestinal parasitism has been based on the intensive and uninterrupted administration of synthetic anthelmintics, which has led to the development of resistant populations of nematodes. To meet the growing demand for food production involving a minimal degradation of natural resources, especially for food produced with the correct use or no use of chemicals, the discovery of plant molecules with ovicidal properties offers an excellent alternative for nematode control (GITHIORI et al, 2006). Several plants possess peculiar features that set them apart because they are more resistant to adversities caused by physical and/or organic agents. This resistance may be due to the constitutive or post-inductive expression of bioactive molecules
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