Journal of
Medicinal Plants Research

  • Abbreviation: J. Med. Plants Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0875
  • DOI: 10.5897/JMPR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 3834

Full Length Research Paper

Anthelmintic activity of the white wormwood, Artemisia herba-alba against Heterakis gallinarum infecting turkey poults

Shaker A. Seddiek1, Mohamed M. Ali2, Hanem F. Khater3* and Mohamed M. El-Shorbagy4
1Avian Diseases Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Benha Branch, Benha 13111, Egypt. 2Biochemical and Nutritional Deficiency Diseases Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Benha Branch, Benha 13111, Egypt. 3Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor 13736, Egypt. 4Poultry Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Moshtohor 13736, Egypt.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 03 May 2011
  •  Published: 18 August 2011

Abstract

Artemisia herba-alba is widely used in the Egyptian folk medicine as vermifuge. The objective of this study was to evaluate the proclaimed anthelmintic efficacy of crude aqueous extracts of A. herba-alba, ACEA, in comparison to albendazole, ABZ, againstHeterakis gallinarum infecting turkey poults. 60, 1 day old large white turkey poults (males) were divided into four groups. Group 1 was neither infested nor treated. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were inoculated with 500 embryonated eggs of H. gallinarum at 1 day old. On day 25 post infestation and for three successive days, group 3 was treated with ABZ, 2.5% (20 mg/kg B. wt.) and group 4 was treated with ACEA (0.4 g/kg B. wt.) in drinking water. The whole experiment had been repeated three times. Seven days post treatments, ABZ and CAEA reduce egg output (97.31 and 97.78%, respectively), and worm burden of H. gallinarum(95.08 and 96.07%, respectively). The weight and feed conversion ratios were improved in group 4. Biochemical analysis and histopathological sections revealed the adverse effect of ABZ. ACEA is then considered as a good anthelmintic alternative therapy and recommended in the control of ascaridosis in poultry industry, since it is effective, safe, available and cheap.

 

Key words: Heterakis, herbal remedies, Artemisia, albendazole, turkey.