Ovine Gastrointestinal Nematodes Research Articles

O-156 Exploring variation in ovine gastrointestinal nematode community composition: A multi-method approach

O-156 Exploring variation in ovine gastrointestinal nematode community composition: A multi-method approach

Microfluidic-Based Formulation of Essential Oils-Loaded Chitosan Coated PLGA Particles Enhances Their Bioavailability and Nematocidal Activity.

In this study, poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) particles were synthesized and coated with chitosan. Three essential oil (EO) components (eugenol, linalool, and geraniol) were entrapped inside these PLGA particles by using the continuous flow-focusing microfluidic method and a partially water-miscible solvent mixture (dichloromethane: acetone mixture (1:10)). Encapsulation of EO components in PLGA particles was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction, with encapsulation efficiencies 95.14%, 79.68%, and 71.34% and loading capacities 8.88%, 8.38%, and 5.65% in particles entrapped with eugenol, linalool, and geraniol, respectively. The EO components’ dissociation from the loaded particles exhibited an initial burst release in the first 8 h followed by a sustained release phase at significantly slower rates from the coated particles, extending beyond 5 days. The EO components encapsulated in chitosan coated particles up to 5 μg/mL were not cytotoxic to bovine gut cell line (FFKD-1-R) and had no adverse effect on cell growth and membrane integrity compared with free EO components or uncoated particles. Chitosan coated PLGA particles loaded with combined EO components (10 µg/mL) significantly inhibited the motility of the larval stage of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus axei by 76.9%, and completely inhibited the motility of adult worms (p < 0.05). This nematocidal effect was accompanied by considerable cuticular damage in the treated worms, reflecting a synergistic effect of the combined EO components and an additive effect of chitosan. These results show that encapsulation of EO components, with a potent anthelmintic activity, in chitosan coated PLGA particles improve the bioavailability and efficacy of EO components against ovine gastrointestinal nematodes.

In Vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Isatis tinctoria Extracts against Ewes' Gastrointestinal Nematodes (GINs), a Possible Application for Animal Welfare.

Sheep gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infestation represents a limiting factor for sheep farming and milk production in Italy. The development of anthelmintic resistance to conventionally used drugs suggests the path towards the use of natural remedies as a possible alternative. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic efficacy of the hydroalcoholic extracts of basal leaves (It-BL), cauline leaves (It-CL) and flowers (It-F) of Isatis tinctoria (Brassicaceae), a spontaneous Sicilian species renowned as an important source of bioactive compounds. The dry extracts of the different parts of the plant were tested using the egg hatch test (EHT) in vitro to verify the efficacy against ovine GIN at different concentrations (1.00, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125 mg/mL). Thiabendazole and deionized water were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The results obtained from EHT indicated that all the I. tinctoria extracts were highly effective (p < 0.0001) in inhibiting egg hatching within 48 h of exposure. The in vitro inhibitory effect was never less than 84% in all doses tested, and it was only slightly lower than the standard drug thiabendazole (95.6%). The current study documents the anthelmintic activity of I. tinctoria against sheep’s GIN, suggesting its application as alternative natural method to limit the use of antiparasitic drugs.

Study on Prevalence of Major Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Sheep in Wayu Tuka and Diga District, Oromia Regional State

Aim This study was devised to be conducted to determine the prevalence and identify the major gastrointestinal nematode parasites based on fecal examination. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence and associated factors with ovine gastrointestinal nematode infestation by fecal examination of 384 sheep from Wayu Tuka and Diga district, Eastern Oromia regional state. Results Out of the total 384 sampled sheep, 169 (44.0%) had been infected with gastrointestinal nematode parasite. Haemonchus species were the most frequently (20.8%) recovered nematode eggs followed by Trichostrongylus (13.0%) and Nematodirus (10.2%). There was no significant difference (p&gt;0.05) in prevalence between age groups and sex. Sheep with poor body condition had a significantly higher prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode parasite (p&lt;0.05) than those sheep in moderate or good body condition. There was no significant association between the gastrointestinal nematode infection in animals of different ages and sex groups. Conclusion The study shows that the gastrointestinal nematode parasite was a major important health problem and impact on the production of sheep in the study area. Therefore, a detailed study should be conducted to identify the parasite at the species level and special consideration should be taken on the management of sheep in poor body condition to reduce the burden of gastrointestinal nematodes.

Genotype by Environment interactions for egg number and egg weight of five dual-purpose chicken breeds in different zones of Oromia region in Ethiopia

The African Chicken Genetic Gain (ACGG) project (https://africacgg.net/) aims at backyard poultry optimization by commercial dual-purpose breeds introduction into Africa. To measure benefits, genotype by environment interaction (GxE) analysis provides guidance while predicting environmental effects on production traits of breeds. A survey among Ethiopian poultry smallholders showed egg sale being the most important purpose of keeping village chickens in Oromia. Data was available about laying of 894 ACGG chickens in Oromia. Hence current research questions were: 1) Does GxE take place? 2) Which breed performs best regarding laying and in which environment within Oromia? Traits investigated were egg number and egg weight of five breeds (S-RIR, Sasso, Horro, Kuroiler and Koekoek) located in three zones (East Hararge, East and West Shoa) and 5 districts (Adami Tulu, Bako Tibe, Dano, Dugda and Haromaya) in Oromia. Observations were taken as group measure performing weighted analyses. GxE was only present for egg number with magnitude strongest for zone. S-RIR performed best for both traits in both environments, except Kuroiler performing better in East Shoa for egg number and Koekoek for egg weight. This indicates success of crossbreed S-RIR. Sasso and Horro performed worst supported by previous research for Horro but not Sasso. Low precipitation in East Shoa caused bigger distance in egg number predictions, being higher for S-RIR and lower for Horro and Sasso compared to West Shoa. Apart from these final conclusions, social context of breeding and data collection difficulties should not be forgotten. Just like relevance of other performance trait analyses.

Nematocidal Effects of a Coriander Essential Oil and Five Pure Principles on the Infective Larvae of Major Ovine Gastrointestinal Nematodes In Vitro.

The anthelmintic effects of extracted coriander oil and five pure essential oil constituents (geraniol, geranyl acetate, eugenol, methyl iso-eugenol, and linalool) were tested, using larval motility assay, on the third-stage larvae (L3s) of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei, Teladorsagia circumcincta, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Trichostrongylus vitrinus and Cooperia oncophora. Coriander oil and linalool, a major component of tested coriander oil, showed a strong inhibitory efficacy against all species, except C. oncophora with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) that ranged from 0.56 to 1.41% for the coriander oil and 0.51 to 1.76% for linalool. The coriander oil and linalool combinations conferred a synergistic anthelmintic effect (combination index [CI] <1) on larval motility comparable to positive control (20 mg/mL levamisole) within 24 h (p < 0.05), reduced IC50 values to 0.11–0.49% and induced a considerable structural damage to L3s. Results of the combined treatment were validated by quantitative fluorometric microplate-based assays using Sytox green, propidium iodide and C12-resazurin, which successfully discriminated live/dead larvae. Only Sytox green staining achieved IC50 values comparable to that of the larval motility assay. The cytotoxicity of the combined coriander oil and linalool on Madin–Darby Canine Kidney cells was evaluated using sulforhodamine-B (SRB) assay and showed no significant cytotoxic effect at concentrations < 1%. These results indicate that testing essential oils and their main components may help to find new potential anthelmintic compounds, while at the same time reducing the reliance on synthetic anthelmintics.

Anthelmintic Efficacy of Aqueous-Alcoholic Extracts Formulations of Embelia ribes Fruits and Vernonia anthelmintica Seeds against Ovine Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Anthelmintic Efficacy of Aqueous-Alcoholic Extracts Formulations of Embelia ribes Fruits and Vernonia anthelmintica Seeds against Ovine Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Validation of ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome sequencing for ovine gastrointestinal nematodes and its application to a large scale survey of UK sheep farms

We have validated ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome next-generation amplicon sequencing to determine relative species abundance of gastrointestinal nematode species in ovine fecal samples. In order to determine species representation biases, ITS-2 rDNA amplicon sequencing was applied to mock communities or field populations with known proportions of L3 for eight of the major ovine gastrointestinal nematode species: Teladorsagia circumcincta, Trichostrongylus vitrinus, Haemonchus contortus, Cooperia curticei, Trichostrongylus axei, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Chabertia ovina and Oesophagostumum venulosum. Correction factors, calculated from this data, were shown to reduce species representation biases when applied to an independent set of field samples of known composition. We compared ITS-2 rDNA amplicon sequencing data that was generated from harvested eggs, freshly hatched L1 or L3 larvae following fecal culture and no statistically significant differences were found for the more abundant parasite species. We then applied the validated ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome amplicon sequencing assay to a set of archived L1 gastrointestinal nematode populations, collected in 2008 from fecal samples from 93 groups of 20 ewes and 61 groups of 20 lambs derived from 99 UK sheep farms. The presence of the major gastrointestinal nematode species had previously been determined on this large sample set by species-specific PCR. We show how the ITS-2rDNA amplicon sequencing data provided much more detailed information on species abundance than the previous species-specific PCR. This new data represents the most comprehensive overview of the relative abundance of the major gastrointestinal nematode species across UK sheep farms to date. Substantial variance in the relative abundance of both T. circumcincta and T. vitrinus between farms was revealed with the former species being of statistically significantly higher abundance in all three regions sampled (England, Scotland and Wales). The data also revealed that the relative abundance of T. circumcinta was statistically significantly higher in ewes than in lambs with the opposite pattern being the case for T. vitrinus. The nemabiome sequencing data also clearly illustrated the sporadic nature and skewed distribution of H. controtus across UK sheep farms as well as a higher relative abundance on farms from England compared to Wales and Scotland. The nemabiome survey also provides the first widescale data on the relative abundance of the two major large intestinal nematodes C. ovina and O. venulosum. This work validates ITS-2 rDNA nemabiome sequencing for use in sheep and illustrates the power of the approach for large scale surveillance of ovine gastrointestinal nematodes.

The dynamics of ovine gastrointestinal nematode infections within ewe and lamb cohorts on three Scottish sheep farms

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are a serious concern for sheep producers worldwide. However, there is a paucity of evidence describing the epidemiology of GIN on modern UK sheep farms. The aim of this paper was to understand whether expected seasonal variations of infection are still found in ewes and lambs under varying management strategies in temperate climates. Faecal egg counts (FEC) were conducted on freshly voided samples collected from groups of ewes and lambs every third week for twelve months on three farms in southeast Scotland. The patterns of egg output have been described here in relation to management practices undertaken on the farms. Despite changes in farming practice and climatic conditions, the findings complement historical studies detailing the epidemiology of GIN. Findings include a periparturient rise in ewe FEC on two of the farms, while lambing time treatment appeared to suppress this on the third farm. On the same two farms lamb FEC increased during the summer, reaching a peak in the autumn. The work also highlights how the ad hoc use of anthelmintics does little to impact these patterns.

The Prevalence of Ovine Gastro Intestinal Nematode and Associated Risk Factor in Jigjiga Woreda, Fafan Zone, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

The Prevalence of Ovine Gastro Intestinal Nematode and Associated Risk Factor in Jigjiga Woreda, Fafan Zone, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Evaluation of Anthelmintics Resistance Against Gastrointestinal Parasites Infection in Awassi Sheep in Jordan and The use of Alternative Herbal Anthelmentics

This study aimed to uncover the prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in middle and north Jordan and to check the in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of apple cider vinegar drench and ginger powder. For this purpose a parasitological study was designed, which used fecal egg count reduction test Two hundred seventy ewes were enrolled in this study, twenty sheep farms were enrolled in this study, which had concerns about anthelmintic efficacy. On each farm, 10 sheep were randomly allocated to one of six treatment groups and five for an untreated control group. Fecal samples were collected on day 0 and days 10-14 for worm egg counts and larval differentiation at 6:00 am at the time of milking. Based on the morphometric identification of larvae, Trichostrongylous 85% was the predominant species, Oestertagia 10% and Haemonchous 5%. There was resistant against all species in the used anthelmintic drug, the highest reduction was noticed in the Ivermectin group and the lowest reduction rate was noticed in albendazole groups. There was low resistance against ginger powder and apple cider vinegar which means that they have a strong anthelmintic effect against gastrointestinal parasites.

In vitro anthelmintic activity and safety of different plant species against the ovine gastrointestinal nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta

The present study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activity and safety of methanolic and aqueous extracts of 9 plants against the ovine GIN Teladorsagia circumcincta. Initially the ovicidal efficacy of all extracts was tested at 50 mg/ml and at 1%, this last concentration for the methanolic extract of Elettaria cardamomum, by the Egg Hatch Assay. In those extracts with efficacy higher than 95%, the effective concentration required to inhibit 50% of egg hatching (EC50) and their cytotoxicity, as the lethal dose 50 (LC50), was also measured. The aqueous extracts of Aesculus hippocastanum, Isatis tinctoria, Chelidonium majus, E. cardamomum and Sisymbrium irio, with EC50 values ranging 1.30–2.88 mg/ml, and the aqueous extract of Jasminum polyanthum with a value of 6.41 mg/ml, showed the highest activities. The aqueous extract of J. polyanthum was the safest extract, followed by methanolic extract of E. cardamomum and aqueous extract of S. irio, all of them with a Selective Index higher than 1. According to our results, there is no correlation between the amount of total phenols or total tannins with the anthelmintic activity of the plants tested. Although results need to be interpreted with caution, as in vitro activity may not automatically translate into in vivo efficacy, those extracts with SI equal or higher than 1 and EC50 equal or lower than 6 mg/ml, could be taken into account for being used subsequently as feed or food additives in infected sheep.

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STUDY OF EUGENIA STIPITATA MC VAUGH COLLECTED IN THE COLOMBIAN ANDEAN REGION

Objective: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the chemical and bioactive properties of Eugenia stipitata (Myrtaceae) fruit seeds collected in the Andean region of Colombia using an ethanolic extract, a dichloromethane fraction (DF), and a hydroalcoholic residue.Methods: E. stipitata seeds were evaluated using bromatological analysis; these were macerated (ethanol 96%) and partitioned (dichloromethane). Phytophenols composition of the samples was tested by high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and Folin–Ciocalteu method, then calculated as gallic acid equivalents (GAEs). Antiradical capacity was tested by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) and 3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonic acid (ABTS•+) and inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) was calculated; antioxidant capacity was determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and OH• radical and hemolysis inhibition assays. Anthelmintic activity against Panagrellus redivivus and ovine gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes and toxicity on human blood cells were tested.Results: E. stipitata seeds contain protein, sulfur, boron, iron, and copper. The ethanolic extract exhibited significant anthelmintic activity against free-living and GI nematodes, which would be associated with the phytophenols content, mostly tannins (29.14 g GAE/100 g). DF displayed the highest antiradical capacity in DPPH• and ABTS•+ (IC50: 2.65 and 0.33 mg/l, respectively) methods, antioxidant capacity, and hemolysis inhibition of human erythrocytes (IC50: 200 mg/l). There were no toxic metabolites to human blood cells.Conclusion: These findings would be useful for promoting the use of E. stipitata seeds, collected in the Colombian Andean region, in biotechnological processes. This is the earliest paper showing a study carried out in Colombia with an interest in evaluating chemical and biological characteristics of E. stipitata seeds.

P-glycoprotein-9 and macrocyclic lactone resistance status in selected strains of the ovine gastrointestinal nematode, Teladorsagia circumcincta

The Teladorsagia circumcincta P-glycoprotein-9 (Tci-pgp-9) gene has previously been implicated in multiple-anthelmintic resistance in this parasite. Here we further characterise genetic diversity in Tci-pgp-9 and its possible role in ivermectin (IVM) and multi-drug resistance using two UK field isolates of T. circumcincta, one susceptible to anthelmintics (MTci2) and the other resistant to most available anthelmintics including IVM (MTci5). A comparison of full-length Tci-pgp-9 cDNA transcripts from the MTci2 and MTci5 isolates (∼3.8 kb in both cases) indicated that they shared 95.6% and 99.5% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. Nine non-synonymous SNPs were found in the MTci5 sequences relative to their MTci2 counterparts. Twelve genomic sequence variants of the first internucleotide binding domain of Tci-pgp-9 were identified and up to 10 of these were present in some individual worms, strongly supporting previous evidence that amplification of this gene has occurred in T. circumcincta. On average, fewer distinct sequence variants of Tci-pgp-9 were present in individual worms of the MTci5 isolate than in those of the MTci2 isolate. A further reduction in the number of sequence variants was observed in individuals derived from an IVM-treated sub-population of MTci5. These findings suggest that Tci-pgp-9 was under purifying selection in the face of IVM treatment in T. circumcincta, with some sequence variants being selected against.

Eprinomectin pour-on (EPRINEX\xae Pour-on, Merial): efficacy against gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematodes and pharmacokinetics in sheep

BackgroundThe anthelmintic efficacy of the 0.5% w/v topical formulation of eprinomectin (EPN), EPRINEX® Pour-on (Merial) when administered at 1 mg/kg body weight was evaluated in sheep in two dose confirmation laboratory studies and one multicenter field study. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of EPN when administered at that dosage to adult sheep was determined.ResultsIn the two dose confirmation studies, which included 10 sheep each, sheep treated with topical EPN had significantly (p < 0.05) fewer of the following nematodes than the untreated sheep with overall reduction of nematode counts by >99%: adult Dictyocaulus filaria, Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta(pinnata/trifurcata), Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus, Cooperia curticei, Nematodirus battus, Strongyloides papillosus, Chabertia ovina and Oesophagostomum venulosum, and inhibited fourth-stage Teladorsagia larvae.A total of 196 sheep harboring naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematode infections were included in the field efficacy study at two sites each in Germany (48 Merino x Ile de France lambs, 52 adult Merino females) and in Italy (adult male and female Bagnolese, Lacaune, Lacaune x Bagnolese, Bagnolese x Sarda sheep; 48 animals per site). Animals were blocked on pre-treatment body weight and within each block, one animal was randomly assigned to the control (untreated) group and three animals were randomly assigned to be treated with topical EPN. Examination of feces 14 days after treatment demonstrated that, relative to the controls, topical EPN-treated sheep had significantly (p < 0.0001) lower strongylid egg counts. Reduction was ≥97% at each site and 98.6% across all sites.Pharmacokinetics of EPN following single treatment with topical EPN were determined in eight ~4.5 year old female Merino cross sheep based on the analysis of plasma samples which were collected from two hours to 21 days following treatment. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were: Cmax 6.20 ± 1.71 ng/mL, AUClast 48.8 ± 19.2 day*ng/mL, Tmax 3.13 ± 2.99 days and T1/2 6.40 ± 2.95 days.No treatment-related health problems or adverse drug events were observed in any study.ConclusionThese studies demonstrated 0.5% w/v EPN administered topically at 1 mg/kg body weight to be highly efficacious against a broad range of ovine gastrointestinal nematodes and D. filaria lungworms and well tolerated by sheep of different ages, breeds, gender and physiological status.

Prevalence of ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in Meskan district, Gurage zone, Southern Ethioipa

A cross sectional study was conducted with the objectives of determining the prevalence and risk factors associated with ovine major gastrointestinal nematodes in Meskan district, Gurage zone from November 2014 to April 2015. A fresh faecal sample of approximately 10 g was collected directly from the rectum of 350 sheep by using gloved fingers. All statistical analysis was performed using statistical software packages for social science (SPSS) version 20. From the total 350 local sheep breed examined, 212 (60.6%) were found infected with different types of gastro-intestinal nematodes. Strongyles were the most frequently 95 (27.1%) recovered nematode eggs followed by Strongyloides 38 (10.9%), Trichuris species 13 (3.7%) and Ascaris spps 2 (0.6%). There was significant association (p 0.05) in prevalence between body condition and different study sites of the subject area. Due to its important health problem and impact on production in the study area, emphasis should be given for the control and prevention of gastrointestinal nematode infection with further studies on genus and species identification by using further laboratory techniques. Keywords : Nematode, Meskan distric, Gastrointestinal nematode, Prevalence, Sheep

Anthelmintic activity of Sesbania grandiflora against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep

The study was carried out to validate the anthelmintic efficacy of Sesbania grandiflora and to standardize the effective dose of the plant extract required for worm control in livestock. In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to determine the direct anthelmintic effect of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of S. grandiflora towards mixed ovine gastrointestinal nematodes. Egg hatch assay for ovicidal and larval migration inhibition and larval development assay for larvicidal properties were used to investigate in vitro effect of extracts on strongyle egg and larvae. Faecal egg count reduction test was conducted in vivo to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the extacts administered orally @ 125, 250, 500 mg/kg to sheep naturally infected with mixed gastrointestinal nematodes. Aqueous extract of S. grandiflora demonstrated significant inhibition of egg hatch and larval migration @ 40 and 80 mg/ml. The ED50 value of egg hatch inhibition and LM50 value for larval migration inhibition were 1.489 and 0.683 mg/ml respectively. In faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), aqueous extract of S. grandiflora at 500 mg/kg caused significant reduction in eggs per gram (98.10 %) higher than the result obtained with albendazole (93.25 %). Although there were slight variations in the haematological parameters (PCV, haemoglobin, RBC and WBC) in all the groups between day 0 and 12, all the parameters were within the normal range reported for sheep. Except for blood urea nitrogen, overall mean of all the serum biochemical profile was within the normal range for sheep. Based on the results obtained by in vitro and in vivo assay, the aqueous extract of S. grandiflora possess anthelmintic activity and could offer an alternative source for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep.

A highly conserved, inhibitable astacin metalloprotease from Teladorsagia circumcincta is required for cuticle formation and nematode development

Parasitic nematodes cause chronic, debilitating infections in both livestock and humans worldwide, and many have developed multiple resistance to the currently available anthelmintics. The protective collagenous cuticle of these parasites is required for nematode survival and its synthesis has been studied extensively in the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. The collagen synthesis pathway is a complex, multi-step process involving numerous key enzymes, including the astacin metalloproteases. Nematode astacinsare crucial for C. elegans development, having specific roles in hatching, moulting and cuticle synthesis. NAS-35 (also called DPY-31) is a homologue of a vertebrate procollagen C-proteinase and performs a central role in cuticle formation of C. elegans as its mutation causes temperature-sensitive lethality and cuticle defects. The characterisation of DPY-31 from the ovine gastrointestinal nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta and its ability to rescue the C. elegans mutant is described. Compounds with a hydroxamate functional group have previously been shown to be potent inhibitors of procollagen C-proteinases and were therefore examined for inhibitory activity against the T. circumcincta enzyme. Phenotypic screening against T. circumcincta, Haemonchus contortus and C. elegans larval stages identified compounds that caused body morphology phenotypes consistent with the inhibition of proteases involved in cuticle collagen synthesis. These compounds correspondingly inhibited the activity of recombinant T. circumcincta DPY-31, supporting the hypothesis that this enzyme may represent a potentially novel anthelmintic drug target.

Anthelmintic activity of Ocimum sanctum leaf extract against ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in India

Leaves of Ocimum sanctum have been traditionally used for various ethno-veterinary practices as well as medicinal purpose. In vitro ovicidal and larvicidal potential of crude aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of the bulb of O. sanctum was investigated. Alkaloids, carbohydrates, steroids and tannins were identified in phytochemical analyses. The various blood parameters coupled marker enzymes and antioxidant status were also evaluated during in vivo trial. Aqueous extract showed better EC50 and EC99 values in comparison with methanolic extract in egg hatch assay and larval development test, respectively. However, in the larval paralysis test, both aqueous and methanolic extracts showed almost similar efficacy. A 77.64% reduction in fecal egg output was observed on day 14. No deleterious ill effect was found in any of the hematological and biochemical parameters suggesting that the plant could be safer for use in sheep.

Prevalence and severity of anthelmintic resistance in ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in Australia (2009-2012).

This study aimed to provide an indication of the prevalence and severity of anthelmintic resistance (AR) in the Australian sheep industry by compiling the results of faecal worm egg count reduction tests (FECRTs). Government and private parasitology laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians known to have conducted FECRTs were asked to provide results that conformed to Australian and New Zealand standard diagnostic procedures. Data were available from a total of 390 tests, with larval differentiation conducted in 222 cases. Pooled results from all states for the macrocyclic lactone (ML) class showed a lower prevalence of AR against combined species for moxidectin (54%) compared with abamectin (77%) and ivermectin (87%). Analysis by state revealed higher levels of ML-resistant Teladorsagia sp. in Tasmania and Western Australia than in other states and ML-resistant Haemonchus sp. was more frequently detected in New South Wales. This compilation of results of FECRTs conducted by Australian parasitology laboratories in 2009-12 showed widespread AR of the common sheep nematodes (Teladorsagia, Trichostrongylus and Haemonchus) to all broad-spectrum anthelmintics, with the exception of monepantel, whether used singly or in combination.