AUTHOR=Bosco Antonio , Prigioniero Antonello , Falzarano Alessandra , Maurelli Maria Paola , Rinaldi Laura , Cringoli Giuseppe , Quaranta Giovanni , Claps Salvatore , Sciarrillo Rosaria , Guarino Carmine , Scarano Pierpaolo 

TITLE=Use of perennial plants in the fight against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Parasitology

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/parasitology/articles/10.3389/fpara.2023.1186149

DOI=10.3389/fpara.2023.1186149

ISSN=2813-2424

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a serious problem in ruminant pastures worldwide. They generate production losses, from the point of view of both the food chain and animal mortality. This study provides preliminary results concerning the use of pasture plants in the Campania region (of southern Italy) to control GINs in sheep.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Sixteen species of wild and cultivated perennial plants present in seminatural pastures were sampled. All species were extracted with the conventional maceration technique, using three different solvents (i.e., H<sub>2</sub>O, EtOH, and an EtOH:H<sub>2</sub>O (8:2) mixture) in order to extract different bioactive compounds. The total phenolic content (TPC; assessed <italic>via</italic> the Folin–Ciocȃlteu assay) of all extract samples was preliminarily characterized. Each sample was aliquoted across six different concentrations and an <italic>in vitro</italic> egg hatching test (EHT) was conducted to evaluate the ovicidal effect on sheep GINs.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The results indicated that <italic>Cichorium intybus</italic> L. and <italic>Foeniculum vulgare</italic> Mill. extracts greatly inhibited egg hatching within 48 hours of exposure, showing efficacy (≥ 62.6%) at the three higher concentrations when compared with the other plants.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The use of extracts of wild and cultivated perennial plant species in pastures can be a valid alternative to the use of synthetic anthelmintic drugs, which can generate problems, such as anthelmintic resistance, in the long term. Looking forward, further <italic>in vitro</italic> studies that evaluate the <italic>in vitro</italic> effect of these extracts on ruminant cell cultures, and field application through <italic>in vivo</italic> studies, would likely confirm the results obtained from preliminary <italic>in vitro</italic> EHTs. All these studies should be aimed at evaluating the therapeutic potential and future applicability of specific plant cultures in pastures to achieve sustainable pest control.</p></sec>