Evaluation of anthelmintic efficacy of plants available in Ceara State, North-east Brazil, for the control of goat gastrointestinal nematodes

In a preliminary experiment the anthelmintic efficacy of nine plants in goa ts experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus was evaluated. The stu dy was conducted in 55 male goats approximately eight months of age. All we re effectively drenched and then infected with approximately 10(4) infectin g larvae of H. contortus. Twenty five days post infection, the plants were administered orally as a single dose in the form of a juice, using a gastro esaphageal tube. The nine plants tested were ineffective in reducing number of adult H. contortus. Those that showed the best performance were A. squa mosa and M. charantia. In a further experiment these plants were selected f or testing in 40 male castrated goats approximately eight months of age, na turally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes. A. squamosa given us 1 g/ Kg for four consecutive days eliminated 51.90% of the adult population of O esophagostomum columbianum, but was ineffective in eliminating H. contortus , Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Strongyloides papillosus. Momordica ch arantia administered us 2 g/Kg for four consecutive days was ineffective in reducing the population of adult parasites. These results, allow us to con clude that the plants tested should not be used as the single medication fo r the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in goats.