Goat Gastro-Intestinal Nematodes

Parasitic diseases are a constraint to livestock productivity across all agro-ecological zones in Africa. Parasitism of the gastro-intestinal tract with nematodes is an impediment in the breeding of goats in Kenya. In this study, extracts of Vernonia amygdalina and Tephrosia vogelii were evaluated for their Nematocidal activities against mixed gastro-intestinal nematodes and Haemonchus contortus infections in goats. Chemical constituents of the plant leaf extracts were determined by soxhlet extraction followed by characterisation of the plant leaf extracts by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H 13C NMR), Infra-red Analysis (FTIR), and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) and faecal cultures revealed that both extracts had significant anthelmintic properties against mixed natural gastro-intestinal and Haemonchus contortus infections (P > 0.05). The leaf extracts were found to contain rotenoids, sesquiterpene lactones, glycosides and tannins. The leave extracts of both plants can therefore be recommended to be used in traditional and ethno-veterinary medicine. Scholars of parasitology and parasitologists will find this book resourceful.