Anti-helminthic Activity of Plant Extracts against Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Small Ruminants - A Review

Endoparasites like gastrointestinal nematodes have a deleterious effect on animal health and production as well as have a role in immunity, energy and protein metabolism. There has been appreciable effort in finding alternative remedies to these parasites owing to the problem of resistance and residue in animal body due to anthelmintics. Researchers around the world have experimented with extracts (different parts of plants) utilizing various in vivo (FECRT) and in vitro tests (AMA, EHA, LDA, LMIT) showing encouraging results against gastrointestinal nematodes especially Haemonchus contortus in case of Annona squamosa, Azadirachta indicda, Cassia surattensis, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Jatropha curcas, Melia azedarach amongst other plants. The present review enumerates those several plants that have antinematodal properties, with a view that further research is warranted to develop a cost effective and environment friendly botanical as the way forward in place of traditionally used anthelmintics.