Phytotherapy and self-medication against gastro-intestinal nematodes in goats

In recent studies, a number of plant and shrub leave extracts have been examined for their anthelmintic effect in vitro that point to a number of interesting plant candidates with deworming potential. Amongst those, oak (Quercus spp.) leaves are particularly promising. The anthelmintic activity of walnut (Juglans regia) leaves coincides with ethnoveterinary reports where goat farmers (without any scientific proof) frequently use walnut (pericarp and leaves) as a deworming agent.

The objectives of the project are:

1. Test the anthelminthic activity of freshly cut and ad libitum administered walnut and oak leaves/branches in adult lactating goats naturally infected with gastro-intestinal nematodes (GIN).
2. Examine the variability of the potential effect based on the individual consumption (experimental leaf feed) of goats.
3. Produce extracts of the dried experimental feeds and test the respective anthelmintic activity in vitro.

Both, the in vivo and the in vitro part of the study will be performed in the Département de la Drôme in the south of France. Extraction and characterisation of experimental self-medication feeds will be done by project partners at the University of Münster in Germany.

• Private financial sources
• Helvetas Intercooperation (CH)

• University of Münster, Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology and Phytochemistry
• Syndicat Caprin de la Drôme
• Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation

• Heckendorn Felix (Department of Livestock Sciences; FiBL France)

• Lèbre Amélie (FiBL France)

Coordination of the project, in-vivo and in-vitro experiments

• FiBL France