USING WILD PLANT EXTRACTS FOR ANTIPARASITIC TREATMENT IN DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

Abstract

Over use of synthetic anthelmintics by cattle farmers has rendered drugs ineffective and has impacted negatively on the environment. This implies that there are alternative long-term approaches to parasites which we have to seek.  The paper investigates the capacity of wild(common) plants normally employed in ethnoveterinary medicine to kill parasites. It is doing so with a mixed-methods approach of combining qualitative survey techniques with experimental parasitology.  The researchers interviewed 60 livestock custodians and traditional healers in agro-pastoral regions in order to discover which wild plants were the most commonly used.  The five most mentioned species were obtained using water, methanol, and ethanol as solvents. We then compared them with gastrointestinal nematodes in vitro test (EHIT) and in vivo (FECRT) with naturally infected goats and sheep.  The findings indicated that methanolic extracts of Plant A and Plant B prevented over 80 percent of eggs to hatch and reduced over 70 percent fecal egg count. It implies that they possess significant anthelmintic potential.  The phytochemical test indicated presence of alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids. The regression analysis also indicated that there were significant correlations between the amount of phytochemicals and the effectiveness.  Qualitative analysis of the datas showed that plant-based medicines are not rejected within the society and culture, their use is perceived to be very effective and sustainable, except there were issues on receiving the proper dose of study drugs.  These findings confirm what people have already realized and indicate that wild plant-derived medicines can prove good alternatives to the synthetic drugs.  Based on a One Health perspective, this research takes the side of applying native customs in contemporary veterinary models so as to enhance better health of animals in a manner that is sustainable.