IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EVALUATION OF ETHNOVETERINARY HERBAL PREPARATIONS FOR ANTHELMINTIC ACTIVITY AGAINST GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODES IN SHEEP

Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematodes are an important constraint to small-ruminant production, and the increasing concern about anthelmintic resistance has encouraged investigation of locally available ethnoveterinary preparations. This study documented traditional deworming practices in Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu, and evaluated selected herbal preparations in vitro and in sheep. Local healers, farmers, women’s self-help groups and community representatives were consulted to document plant species, plant parts and preparation methods. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts were assessed using an egg-hatch assay at 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg/mL. In the in vitro test, aqueous Aloe vera extract showed reported inhibition values of 88.50, 92.75, 94.00 and 97.75% at 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg/mL, respectively. At 80 mg/mL, the combined herbal preparation with A. vera showed 94.00% inhibition in the aqueous extract and 94.75% in the ethanolic extract; the reported positive-control value was 95.50%. In the in vivo faecal egg count reduction test, the day-12 reductions were 74.96 ± 0.81% for A. vera, 92.58 ± 1.22% for the herbal mixture, 94.04 ± 0.81% for the combined preparation and 94.09 ± 0.53% for fenbendazole. No abnormal clinical signs were reported during the 24-hour observation period after treatment. These findings indicate that the combined ethnoveterinary preparation merits further investigation as a potential anthelmintic option. However, the results require confirmation using a clearly specified experimental design, validated assay terminology, appropriate safety evaluation and larger controlled field trials.