Anthelmintic effect of heather in goats experimentally infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis.

The effects of heather (composed primarily of Calluna vulgaris with a smaller content of Erica umbellata and Erica cinerea) consumption on the establishment of incoming infective larvae (experiment 1, preventive treatment) and an adult worm population (experiment 2, curative treatment) were investigated in Cashmere goats experimentally infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis. In experiment 1, 12 castrated male goats were divided into two groups: heather-supplemented vs. non-supplemented animals. After 2 weeks of adaptation to the diet, all goats were experimentally infected per os with 6,000 T. colubriformis third-stage larvae. Three weeks post-infection, the goats were slaughtered, and worm counts as well as female worm fecundity and development were determined. Heather consumption was associated with a close to significant (P=0.092) reduction (mean 14 %) in larvae establishment. No effect on fecundity was observed, but the length of female worms in supplemented goats was greater (P<0.001). In experiment 2, 15 non-lactating does were experimentally infected with 6,000 T. colubriformis third-stage larvae. At 6 weeks post-infection, three groups were established: control, heather-supplemented and heather-supplemented with polyethylene glycol. Individual faecal nematode egg output was measured twice weekly to assess gastrointestinal nematode egg excretion. The goats were slaughtered 5 weeks after heather administration (11 weeks post-infection), and worm counts as well as female worm fecundity and development were subsequently determined. Heather administration was associated with a significant (P<0.001) decrease (between 47 and 66 % compared with control group) in egg excretion from 45 to 76 days post-infection. Although worm counts and female fecundity were lower in supplemented goats, no significant differences were observed. Overall, the results showed a reduction in T. colubriformis larvae establishment and a decrease in nematode egg excretion when heather was administered in experimentally infected goats. The heather plus polyethylene glycol treatment reduced nematode egg excretion levels at the same proportion as heather, thereby suggesting that the threshold of tannins required for an anthelmintic effect is most likely quite low.

Effects of Acacia nilotica and Acacia karoo diets on Haemonchus contortus infection in goats.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of Acacia karoo and Acacia nilotica diets on Haemonchus contortus infections in goats. Twenty-four Boer goats of mixed sex (live weight 17-22 kg) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, namely: A. nilotica (AN) group, A. karoo (AK) group, control infected with H. contortus (HC) group and the non-infected control (NHC) group. Animals in the AN, AK and HC groups were orally infected with a single dose of 3000 HC third stage larvae. The AN and AK groups had dried leaves of AN and AK, respectively, included in their basal diet at a rate of 40% dry matter (DM) while the HC and NHC groups had the basal diet throughout the experiment. All animals received a total feed allowance of 500 g DM per day and Katambora Rhodes grass hay ad libitum for roughage. Parameters measured included faecal egg counts and live weight. At the end of the experiment, three animals from each group were slaughtered and abomasal worm burdens were determined. A significant decrease in the faecal egg counts was recorded in animals in the AK group (P<0.05) relative to those in the AN and HC groups. The worm burdens were reduced by 34% in the AK group (P<0.05) and by 10% in the AN group (non-significant) relative to the infected control group. The study indicates that the difference in the effects of the two forages on HC infections may be related to type and concentration of tannins.