This study describes the in vitro anthelmintic activity of aqueous extracts (AE), ethyl acetate extracts (EE), flavonoid fractions (FF) and saponin fractions (SF) obtained from sisal waste (Agave sisalana) against gastrointestinal nematodes of goats. The activity of these extracts was evaluated by performing inhibition of egg hatch (EHA) and larval migration (LMI) assays. The EC(50) results of the EHA corresponded to 4.7, 0.1 and 0.05 mg/mL for EE, EA and FF, respectively. The SF fraction showed no ovicidal activity. The percent efficacies that were observed for the LMI were 50.3, 33.2 and 64.1% for the AE, EE and SF, respectively. The FF fraction did not show activity against the larvae. The analysis of the FF fraction indicates the presence of a homoisoflavonoid. This report suggests that the A. sisalana has activity in vitro against gastrointestinal nematodes of goats. This effect is likely related to the presence of homoisoflavonoid and saponin compounds, which have different actions for specific stages of nematode development.

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The gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) stand out as an important cause of disease in small ruminant, especially on goat farm. Widespread resistance to synthetic anthelminthics has stimulated the research for alternative strategies of parasite control, including the use of medicinal plants. The present work summarizes the in vitro and in vivo studies of plants with activity against GIN of goats, focusing on the description of chemical constituents related to this effect. This review retrieved 56 scientific articles from 2008 to 2018 describing more than 100 different plant species. The most frequently investigated family was Fabaceae (30.7%). Most in vitro studies on the activity of plant extracts and fractions were carried out with of free-living stages nematodes. In vivo studies were conducted mainly with the use of plants in animal feed and generally showed lower effectiveness compared to in vitro assays. The main plant secondary metabolites associated with anthelmintic effect are condensed tannins, saponin and flavonoids. However, the studies with compounds isolated from plants and elucidation of their mechanisms of action are scarce. Herbal medicines are thought to be promising sources for the development of effective anthelmintic agents.

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