Anthelminthic effects of extracts of indigenous browses from mid rift valley of Ethiopia

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential anthelminthic properties of extracts of leaves of indigenous browses (Acacia seyal, Acacia senegal, Acacia tortilis, Millettia ferruginea, and Vernonia amygadalina) based on three in vitro assays. Acetone extracts of browses at different concentrations (75 to 1200 μg/ml, for egg and larvae and 100mg/ml for an adult) were tested on three developmental stages of Haemonchus contortus (eggs, infective larvae, and adult worms) using egg hatch assay (EHA), larval migration inhibition assay (LMIA) and adult worm motility inhibition assay (AMIA). Significant effects were obtained with all five browses but differences were observed depending on the parasitic stages. The effects of five browse extracts on egg hatching were concentration-dependent, the highest (P<0.05) egg hatch inhibition rate was observed at 1200 μg/ml concentration for all browses. All extracts had a higher effect (P<0.01) than that of the negative control, phosphate buffer saline (PBS). In contrast, no concentration-response relationship was found for infective larvae and adult worms, although more potent effects were observed with the highest concentrations. The LMI rate (70%) induced by Vernonia  amygadalina extract, at a concentration of 300 μg/ml, was the highest (P<0.05) of all other browses, even at higher concentrations. The highest LMI rate (62%) induced by Acacia senegal extract at higher concentration, was lower than that of LMI rate (70%) induced by Vernonia amygadalina, at 300 μg/ml concentration. Vernonia amygadalina was found to be highly and rapidly effective against adult worms inducing the highest mortality rate (90%) as soon as 4 hrs after incubation. Overall, the in vitro results suggest that these five  browses do possess anti-parasitic properties and Vernonia amygadalina showed the most effective anti-parasitic property. These effects remain to be confirmed through in vivo study.