The Power of Plants – Worm control

There is an increasing amount of research into the power of plants, and with concern with the overuse of medicines including anthelmintics future parasite control from plant origins is of key importance.

An article in Veterinary Parasitology “An evidence-based approach to the evaluation of ethnoveterinary medicines against stronglye nematodes of equids” looked the bioactive compounds of 9 plants against small strongyles (cyathostomins).

The plants tested were chosen through anecdotal and other supportive evidence and included:
• Artemisia absinthium – Wormwood
• Chenopodium album – Fat hen
• Allium sativum – Garlic
• Zinger officinale – Ginger
• Acacia nilotica – Gum Arabic tree
• Cucumis prophetarum – relative of melons and cucumbers
• Rumex abyssinicus – Spinach rhubarb
• Vernomia amygdalina – Bitter leaf
• Withania somnifera – Ashwadia (Indian gingeng)

Egg hatch and larval migration were tested, and the research showed that wormwood, fat hen, garlic, ginger, gum arabic, spinach rhubarb and C prophetarum showed significant anthelmintic activity.
One of those herbs, fat hen is widespread throughout the UK and Europe and could well be available for self-selection in natural pastures. Garlic and wormwood are often self-selected by horses, so potentially the control of parasites could be one of those reasons.
This is just one of many papers researching the bioactivity of plants. I look forward to sharing others with you in future blogs.