RESUMO
Anthelmintic efficacies of the total glycosides isolated from Saussurea lappa, roots [Family: Compositae] and morantel tartrate were determined in two animal species suffering from naturally acquired mixed nematode infections. The glycosides were administered orally in 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight doses in sheep while morantel tartrate [100 mg/kg b. wt.] was kept as a control. The pre-and post-treatment faecal eggs per gram [EPG] counts were determined by Stoll's technique and their% age EPG reductions were calculated. The data obtained showed that the glycosides reduced the EPG counts significantly at the dosage levels of 200 and 300 mg/kg b. wt. The percentage reduction [mean +/- SEM] in EPG counts at 300 mg/kg dosage on the 3rd, 10th and 15th days after drug administration were 57 +/- 25, 78 +/- 21 and 93 +/- 11. The glycosides were also administered at 150, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.wt. in the buffalo-calves suffering from mixed gastrointestinal nematodes infection. In the group treated with 300 mg/kg b.wt. of the glycosides of S. lappa, a highly significant [p < 0.001] reduction in the EPG counts was observed on the 3rd, 10th and 15th days after administration of the glycosides. The percentage EPG reductions in the group treated with 300 mg/kg were 69 +/- 19, 82 +/- 11 and 93 +/- 4 on these days. Morantel tartrate produced maximum% age reductions of 92 +/- 8 and 97 +/- 8 on the day 15th in sheep and buffalo-calves, respectively. These data suggest that oral administration of 300 mg/kg body weight of the total glycosides of S. lappa and 100 mg/kg of morantel tartrate are equi-effective in the treatment of mixed gastrointestinal nematodal infection of sheep and buffalo-calves. These results also reveal that the isolated glycosides of S. lappa roots are much less potent than the powdered roots themselves. It is conceivable that some other constituent [s] of this herbal drug acts synergistically and enhances the antinematodal efficacy of its glycosides