Original Articles: 2016 Vol: 8 Issue: 1
Seed germination and anthelmintic activity of Cajanus cajan on sheep
Abstract
Nematodes parasites of gastrointestinal tract are a major constraint of small ruminant raising in rural farm of Burkina Faso. In the search of endogenous alternatives solutions, this study was initiated to evaluate the potential anthelmintic activity of Cajanus cajan fodder plant in sheep. For this purpose, seed germination test was carried out to produce C. cajan fodder which was used to evaluate adult motility test in vitro and faecal egg counts reduction test in vivo in natural infestation condition. For the first test, applied pretreatments (mechanical scarification and immersion in water for 24 hours) significantly increased the speed of seed germination until the second day after seeding compared to the control (untreated). The results of in vitro anthelmintic activity of C. cajan aqueous extract revealed that the tested concentrations (100, 50 and 25 mg / ml) inhibited H. contortus adult worms during the test. In vivo anthelmintic results of C. cajan fodder administered at 3 g / kg body weight to the animals of treated group (n = 6) showed a decrease in egg excretion (P>0,05), a weight increase and a larger hematocrit levels (P> 0.05) compared to control group (n = 6). These results show that the use of C. cajan fodder is beneficial to small ruminants in infested area of gastrointestinal parasites. Therefore, it could be popularized in north Sudanese area of the country in an integrated struggle approach to improve animal and agricultural production.