Anthelmintic effect of condensed tannins on gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep

Author(s)

Alessandro Pelegrine Minho

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/STB)
• Defense date: 2006-02-24

Examining board members

Adibe Luiz Abdalla; Ives Cláudio da Silva Bueno; Solange Maria Gennari; Enrico Lippi Ortolani; Milton Hissashi Yamamura

• Advisor: Adibe Luiz Abdalla

Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematodes are a major cause of economic loss in farm animals. Gastrointestinal parasite control programs based on chemotherapy are failing because of increased anthelmintic resistance; thus, alternative controls strategies are necessary to reduce the use of anthelmintic drug in animal production have been studied. Condensed tannins (CT) have shown potential for alternative control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the anthelmintic effect of condensed tannin on sheep gastrointestinal nematodes. During the experimental period four experiments were carried out: Experiment A in vitro study of larval feed inhibition (first stage larvae-L1) of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Teladorsagia circumcincta, to evaluate the anthelmintic effect of CT from acacia (Acacia mearnsii) condensed tannins extract (CTE); Experiment B study of the potential uses of CTE to control gastrointestinal parasites in sheep naturally infected with H. contortus e T. colubriformis, with animals divided into two groups (drenched and undrenched with CTE); Experiments C and D were carried out with sheep experimentally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (H. contortus e T. colubriformis, respectively). In these experiments (C and D) the animals were divided into five groups GI (nematodes infect control); GII (supplemented with taniniferous sorghum); GIII (drenched with CTE once); GIV (drenched with CTE for two days) and GV (non-infect control). The results of experiment A (larval feed inhibition) and B (natural nematode infection) were promissory and showed the direct effect of CT on sheep gastrointestinal nematodes with significant difference (P < 0.05) between groups. The results of H. contortus experimental infections (experiment C) did not provide significant difference between groups (P > 0.05), however the T. colubriformis experimental infection results (experiment D) showed significant difference (P < 0.01) on EPG values of sheep supplemented with sorghum (GI) and drenched with CTE for two days (GIV), when compared with infect control (GI); Significant reduction of female worm burden was demonstrated between GI and GIV (P < 0.01) on experiment D. Reduction on nematode egg viability (from eggs to L1) and infective larvae (L3) from coprocultures made with faeces from CT treated groups were observed in experiments C and D. The results evidenced the direct action of CT on sheep gastrointestinal nematodes and mainly on L3 production; however more studies are necessary to indicate a strategic alternative parasite control based in CT sources (AU)