There is a considerable interest in developing new anthelmintic drugs including those from medicinal plants due to increasing evidence of parasitic resistance against present anthelmintic drugs and decreasing activity against encapsulated larval stages of parasites. This study was carried out to assess, for the first time, the effectiveness of methanolic extract of Balanites aegyptiaca (BAE) fruits against different stages (pre-adult, migrating larvae, and encysted larvae) of Trichinella spiralis in rats compared with commonly used anthelmintic albendazole. Oral administration of BAE at a dose of 1,000 mg/kg b.wt. for five successive days throughout the parasite life cycle led to a marked reduction of migrating and encysted larval rate by 81.7% and 61.7%, respectively, in the muscular tissue. This treatment was less effective against adults in the gut (47.8%). Albendazole treatment at a dose of 10 mg/kg b.wt. for five successive days resulted in a marked eradication of T. spiralis adult worms (94.4%) and less reduction of migrating and encysted larval infections of skeletal muscles (62.2% and 26.4%, respectively). BAE-treated groups showed marked decreases in serum-glucose levels, triglyceride concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) activities, and lipid peroxide products (malondialdehyde, MDA) as well as an increase in glutathione level in both serum and muscular tissue compared to albendazole-treated- and infected-untreated groups. This result was confirmed by few numbers of living- and dead-encysted larvae and less destruction of the diaphragm and skeletal muscle tissues in BAE-treated groups compared to other treated groups. It can be concluded that the methanolic extract of B. aegyptiaca fruits has high effectiveness against parenteral stages of T. spiralis than albendazole. Albendazole is more effective against enteral stage of T. spiralis than the extract.
C ephalopina titillator (C. titillator) [Clark, Diptera: Oestridae] only attacks camels and damage tissues causing economic losses and reduction of fertility. The present work evaluated two common essential plant oils from Cyperusrotundus (C. rotundus) (Cyperaceae) and Zingiber officinale (Z .officinale) (Zingiberaceae), which are considered ecofriendly and have the ability to kill larvae. Scanning electron microscopic examinations were done to demonstrate alterations of the respiratory spiracles after exposure to the essential oils. Three different concentrations 30, 50, 100 µl/ml of oils in distilled water were prepared. Few drops of Tween 80 were added as an emulsifier to the used essential oils. Five 3 rd instar larvae were used in each treatment then dipping procedure was applied five times. Each group of larvae was immersed for 60s in each dilution for each oil and the solution was continuously stirred. Dead larvae were counted after 24 hrs. Samples of treated and control larvae were fixed for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The essential oils were very toxic to C. titillator larvae. Results of dipping bioassays showed that mortality of treated larvae was concentration-dependent. At the 100µl/ml concentration, there was 100% mortality of larvaefor both oils. The posterior spiracles were damaged and showed severe distortion of both lips. C. rotundus and Z. officinale oils have great potential to be developed as a novel larvicidea gainst C. titillator larvae and they could be used as nasal drench .They may be an effective, inexpensive control for this pest.
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