Introduction
Herbal medicines have been used in human and animal medicine for centuries to treat parasitic diseases; few examples have been investigated for genuine anti-parasitic activity. In developing countries access to effective anthelmintic treatment for livestock is often limited by cost, availability and variable quality. Reports of resistance to benzimadazoles in ruminants in Ethiopia serve as a warning that anthelmintic resistance may also be an emerging problem [1,2]. In light of these issues there is increasing interest in plant remedies as alternatives to synthetic anthelmintics. This study used a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) to identify plants with potential anthelmintic activity in the Oromia region of Ethiopia; five plant extracts were shortlisted and tested for efficacy against cyathostomins using in vitro assays. Current attitudes to ethnoveterinary medicine were discussed.
Methods
Focus group discussions with 29 groups of donkey owners from the Oromia region of Ethiopia explored the use of plants to treat GI parasites in livestock. Current attitudes to herbal medicines were discussed and recorded using thematic analysis. Plants of interest were collected and identified at the National Herbarium, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Plants were shortlisted for in vitro tests based on four criteria; ranking in the PRA, supportive literature, no evidence of toxicity and availability. Hydro-alcoholic extraction of dried plant material from shortlisted species was performed. The efficacy of extracts was evaluated in the egg hatch assay (EHA) using cyathostomin eggs recovered from the faeces of donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary, UK. Dose response curves were produced and ED-50 values calculated using probit analysis.
Results
The focus groups identified 21 plants used as anthelmintics in livestock. A general move away from traditional medicines in the younger generation was observed, although when asked if they would use plants in future many would consider this if they had been tested scientifically and were approved by professionals. The five plants shortlisted for in vitro analysis were Acacia nilotica, Cucumis prophetarum, Rumex abysinnicus, Vernonia amygdalinia and Withania somnifera. Three showed efficacy in the EHA; Acacia nilotica, Cucumis prophetarum and Rumex abysinnicus, with EC-50 values of 0.7, 1.1 and 1.3mg/ml respectively.
Conclusion
Three out of five of the plants identified in the PRA showed efficacy in vitro suggesting that plant remedies used by livestock owners in the Oromia region of Ethiopia may contain compounds with genuine anthelmintic activity. Evaluation of current attitudes suggests that plant remedies are not used unless there is no other option, but that they would be considered should scientific evidence of efficacy and safety be presented to them by animal health professionals [3]. It is therefore essential that a randomised controlled trial is used to verify whether in vitro anthelmintic activity can be translated in vivo and thus whether the plants identified in this study have potential as safe alternatives to synthetic anthelmintic drugs. This study has highlighted that local practices pertaining to the health of working equids are a rich source of information that may help to inform sustainable and effective treatment strategies in future.