Short Lecture “Herbs and Mountain Plants as an Alternative Medication for Anthelmintic Treatment in Livestock Species”

Managing Ascaridia galli remains one of the challenges for poultry production systems, as animals pecking on the ground will be nearly unavoidable infected with this widespread intestinal parasite [1]. Consequently, organic housing (i.e., litter-based housing systems) increases the risk of parasitic infections. Treatments with anthelmintics (AH) such as flubendazole are working; However, the increased occurrence of resistant parasites and the growing awareness of drug residues accumulating in chicken meat and eggs call for effective and organic alternatives.

Based on ethnopharmacological studies, nine plant species growing in the alpine area were selected to explore their potential as AH in the course of the Euregio project HERBAL. The anthelminthic effect caused by the apolar and polar plant extracts was studied utilizing an embryonic development and a worm motility assay. Furthermore, acceptance tests were conducted by feeding Lehmann brown hens with fodder containing the plant extracts (0.1% or 0.3% w/w). The results highlighted Ciceribita alpina, Chicorium intybus, and Tanacetum vulgare as promising anthelminthic species consumed by the chickens. Thus, these plants were submitted to thorough phytochemical studies employing UHPLC-DAD-HRMS² studies and classic activity-guided isolation procedures. The combined results suggest synergistic effects of caffeic acid derivatives and sesquiterpene lactones, such as 11β,13-dihydrolactucin.

In sum, new potent anthelminthic plant extracts being active against A. galli were identified, demonstrating urgently needed solutions for the organic production systems of poultry products. In vivo studies utilizing artificial and natural infections are planned to validate and fortify the results.

• Reference

• 1 Shifaw A, Feyera T, Walkden-Brown SW. et al. Global and regional prevalence of helminth infection in chickens over time: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Poultry Science 2021; 100 (05) 101082

Publication History

Article published online:
12 December 2022