The effects of different plant extracts on intestinal cestodes and on trematodes

Parasitol Res. 2011 Apr;108(4):979-84. doi: 10.1007/s00436-010-2167-5. Epub 2010 Nov 25.

Abstract

In the present study, chloroform, aqueous, (polyethylene glycol/propylene carbonate) PEG/PC extracts were made from coconut, onion, garlic, fig, date tree, chicory, ananas, and cistrose. These extracts were tested in vivo and in vitro on their anthelmintic activity against cestodes (Hymenolepis diminuta, H. microstoma, Taenia taeniaeformis) and trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, Echinostoma caproni). In all in vitro tests, the target parasites died. It turned out that the treatment of mice and rats with a combination of onion and coconut extracts (with PEG/PC) eliminated all cestodes from their final hosts. In addition, the same composition was effective against the intestinal fluke E. caproni, but not against the liver fluke F. hepatica in the final host, while both worms were killed in vitro. Inoculation of fluids of coconut eliminated T. taeniaeformis tapeworms from naturally infected cats. This goal was not reached with oil of cistrose.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / isolation & purification
  • Anthelmintics / pharmacology*
  • Cat Diseases / drug therapy
  • Cats
  • Cestoda / drug effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Helminthiasis, Animal / drug therapy
  • Mice
  • Parasitic Sensitivity Tests
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rodent Diseases / drug therapy
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Trematoda / drug effects*

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Plant Extracts