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. 2018 Mar 9;14(1):78.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1405-4.

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

Zora Váradyová  1 , Dominika Mravčáková  1 , Michal Babják  2 , Magdalena Bryszak  3 , Ľubomíra Grešáková  1 , Klaudia Čobanová  1 , Svetlana Kišidayová  1 , Iveta Plachá  1 , Alžbeta Königová  2 , Adam Cieslak  3 , Sylwester Slusarczyk  4   5 , Lukasz Pecio  4 , Mariusz Kowalczyk  4 , Marián Várady  6
Affiliations

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

Zora Váradyová et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: The 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.

Results: Quantitative 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.

Conclusion: A 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.

Keywords: Anthelmintic activity; Egg counts; Gastrointestinal nematode; Haemonchus contortus; Herbal bioactive compounds; Mineral status; Organic zinc; Sheep.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval

Animal use and study design were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Parasitology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in accordance with the national legislation in Slovakia - Animal Welfare Act No. 23/2009. Permission to collect study samples was granted by participating sheep farmers. The owner of the animals gave verbal consent to carry out of the experiment.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
UV chromatogram at 190–600 nm of a sample of Herbmix at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. Peak numbers represent main compounds listed (No.) in Table 2
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean fecal egg counts of the groups of lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Abomasal worm counts of Haemonchus contortus in the lambs of each treatment at the end of the experiment
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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