The anthelminitic effects of Buchholzia coracea seed

Abstract

The dry pulverized seeds of Buchholzia coracea were exhaustively extracted in 70% ethanol over night at 40oC using a soxhlet extractor. The extract was concentrated in a vacuum using a rotary evaporator. The extract was a thick, brown, honey–like paste. Acute toxicity test was performed using two-week-old White Harco cockerel chicks, which weighed between 53.6 and 86.8 g. The extract showed a wide safety margin as no death was recorded up to the maximum dose of 2000 mg /kg. Brine shrimp lethality assay gave an LC₅₀ of 117.46 ppm. In vitro anthelmintic assay using the L3 larvae of Haemonchus contortus and Heligmosomoides polygyrus gave 94% death and 100% death at the concentration of 100 mg of extract/ml, respectively. Their LC₅₀ values using probit analysis were 16.82 mg/ml and 11.20 mg/ml, respectively. In the in vivo test the extract did not reduce the post-mortem worm count and the faecal egg count in the treatment groups at doses of 200, 400, 800 and 1000 mg/kg when compared with Fenbendazole-treated birds. The extract exhibited larvicidal activity.

Keywords: Anthelmintic, Buchhlozia coriacea, extracts, Haemonchus contortus, Heligmosomoides polygyrus.

Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 27 (2) 2006: pp. 60-65