Effects of herbal nutraceuticals and/or zinc against Haemonchus contortus in lambs experimentally infected

Abstract

BackgroundThe gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus is a pathogenic organism resistant to several anthelmintics. This study assessed the efficacy of a medicinal herbal mixture (Herbmix) and organic zinc, as an essential trace element for the proper functioning of both unspecific and specific immune defensive mechanisms, against experimental infections with H. contortus in lambs. All lambs were infected orally with approximately 5000 third-stage larvae of a strain of H. contortus susceptible to anthelmintics (MHco1). Twenty-four female lambs 3–4 months of age were divided into four groups: unsupplemented animals (control), animals supplemented with Herbmix (Hmix), animals supplemented with organic zinc (Zn) and animals supplemented with Herbmix and organic zinc (Hmix+Zn). Eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces were quantified 20, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 62 and 70 d post-infection and mean abomasal worm counts were assessed 70 d post-infection. Samples of blood were collected from each animal 7, 35, 49 and 70 d post-infection.ResultsQuantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds in Herbmix identified three main groups: flavonoids (9964.7 μg/g), diterpenes (4886.1 μg/g) and phenolic acids (3549.2 μg/g). Egg counts in the lambs treated with Hmix, Zn and Hmix+Zn decreased after 49 d. The EPGs in the Zn and Hmix+Zn groups were significantly lower on day 56 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively), and the EPGs and mean worm counts were significantly lower on day 70 in all supplemented groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Hemograms of complete red blood cells of each animal identified clinical signs of haemonchosis after day 35. Serum calprotectin concentrations and IgA levels were significantly affected by treatment. The treatment influenced serum malondialdehyde concentrations (P < 0.05) and sulfhydryl groups (P < 0.01) of antioxidant status. The mineral status was unaltered in all lambs.ConclusionA direct anthelmintic impact on the viability of nematodes was not fully demonstrated, but the treatments with herbal nutraceuticals and zinc likely indirectly contributed to the increase in the resistance of the lambs to nematode infection.

Effect of dry medicinal plants (wormwood, chamomile, fumitory and mallow) on in vitro ruminal antioxidant capacity and fermentation patterns of sheep

“…From the four medicinal plants we tested, A. absinthium , in particular, is considered to be a good source of naturally occurring antioxidant compounds, with the most potent antioxidant power due to its phenolic composition (Pisoschi, Pop, Cimpeanu, & Predoi, 2016). It is clear that phenolic acids and flavonoids mitigate diseases associated with oxidative stress and have excellent antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo (Kasote et al, 2015; Váradyová, Mravčáková, Babják, Bryszak, et al, 2018).…”

Modulation of ruminal and intestinal fermentation by medicinal plants and zinc from different sources

“…Herbal nutraceuticals and trace element zinc represent unique diet supplements with favourable impacts on ruminal fermentation and digestibility of nutrients (Benchaar, McAllister, & Chouinard, ; Qiao et al., ) and they can be also health‐promoting (Váradyová et al., ). The decrease in total gas and methane production without inhibiting total and individual SCFAs, in vitro digestibility and ammonia‐N concentration was probably due to the presence of bioactive compounds (i.e., flavonoids and gallic acid) in Mix (Exp.…”

“…The experimental treatments were as follows: (a) a basal diet (control) composed of 350 g DM/day meadow hay and 650 g DM/day barley grains (400:600, w/w); (b) a diet enriched with Zn‐Gly (70 mg Zn/kg of diet/day); (c) a diet enriched with a Mix (10% replacement of meadow hay by the Mix); and (d) a diet enriched with a combination of Zn‐Gly and the Mix (Zn‐Gly‐Mix). On the basis of the results obtained in Experiment 1 and our previous results (Váradyová et al., ), Zn‐Gly was used in Experiment 2. The source and level of Zn‐Gly were the same as those used in Experiment 1.…”

“…A recent study (Váradyová et al., ) indicated that combination treatment with herbal nutraceuticals and zinc may have the potential to positively influence the animal health. Supplementing diets with both medicinal plants and zinc has therefore been hypothesized to influence the microbial ecosystems in the rumen and large intestine to mitigate the negative effect of high‐concentrate diets on sheep.…”

Anthelmintic Activity of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) and Mallow (Malva sylvestris L.) against Haemonchus contortus in Sheep

“…In traditional medicine, whole plants or mixtures of plants are used rather than isolated compounds, and therefore more research is needed on all types of interaction between plant constituents. The ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHRMS) analyses of dry medicinal plants or plant mixtures in our recent studies with H. contortus [15][16][17] identified a wide range of bioactive compounds with important pharmacological activities, mainly flavonoids, phenolic acids, diterpenes, and alkaloids. These experiments, which combined chromatographic analyses with the determination of antioxidant capacity, are helpful in identifying plants with consistent concentrations of anthelmintic and antioxidant compounds for in vitro and in vivo studies.…”