Skip to main content
Log in

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

Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abu-El-Ezz NM (2005) Effects of Nigella sativa and Allium cepa oils on Trichinella spiralis in experimentally infected rats. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 35:511–523

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Aksu G (2009) Plant extracts in the fight against worms. Diploma thesis, Duesseldorf, Germany

  • Desta B (1995) Ethiopian traditional herbal drugs. Part I: studies on the toxicity and therapeutic activity of local taenicidal medications. J Ethnopharmacol 45:27–33

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eckert J, Friedhoff KT, Zahner H, Deplazes P (2008) Lehrbuch der Parasitologie für die Tiermedizin, 2nd edn. Enke, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer K (2007) The effects of plant extracts on worm stages. Diploma thesis, University of Duesseldorf

  • Hukkeri VI, Kalyani GA, Hatpaki BC, Manvi FV (1993) In vitro anthelminthic activity of aqueous extract of fruit rind of Punica granatum. Fitotherapia 64:69–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Hussain A, Khan MN, Igbal Z, Sajid MS (2008) An account of the botanical anthelmintics used in traditional veterinary practices in Sahiwal district of Punjab, Pakistan. J Ethnopharmacol 119:185–190

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klimpel S, Abdel-Ghaffar F, AL-Rasheid KAS, Aksu G, Fischer K, Strassen B, Mehlhorn H (2010) The effects of different plant extracts on nematodes. Parasitol Res (in press)

  • Mehlhorn H (2008) Enyclopedia of parasitology, 3rd edn. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mehlhorn H, Düwel D, Raether W (1993) Diagnosis and therapy of parasitosis of house and farm animals (in German), 2nd edn. G Fischer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehlhorn H, Eichenlaub D, Löscher T, Peters W (1995) Diagnosis and therapy of the parasites of men (in German), 2nd edn. G. Fischer, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehlhorn H, Al-Quaraishy S, Al-Rasheid KAS, Jatzlau A, Abdel-Ghaffar F (2010) Addition of a combination of onion (Allium cepa) and coconut (Cocos nucifera) to food of sheep stops gastrointestinal helminthic infections. Parasitol Res (in press)

  • Oliveira LMB, Bevilagne CML, Cosha CZC et al (2009) Anthelminthic activity of Cocos nucifera L. against sheep gastrointestinal nematodes. Vet Parasitol 159:55–59

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Semmler M, Abdel-Ghaffar F, Al-Rasheid KAS, Mehlhorn H (2009) Nature helps: from research to products against blood-sucking arthropods. Parasitol Res 105:1483–1487

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Soffar SA, Mokhtar GM (1991) Evaluation of the antiparasitic effect of aqueous garlic (Allium sativum extract in Hymenolepis nana and Giardiasis). J Egypt Soc Parasitol 21:497–502

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strassen B (2007) Cocos nucifera Investigations on the efficacy of extracts on parasites. (in German) PhD thesis, University of Düsseldorf

  • Tagboto S, Townson S (2001) Antiparasitic properties of medical plants and other naturally occurring products. Adv Parasitol 50:199–295

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tandon V, Pal P, Roy B, Rao HPS, Reddy LES (1997) In vitro anthelmintic activity of root-tuber extract of Flemingia vestita, an indigenous plant in Shillong, India. Parasitol Res 83:492–498

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • von Bingen H (1974) Naturkunde—reproduction of a medieval book, 2nd edn. Mueller–Wiss, Buchgesellschaft, Salzburg)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiao P, Fu SC (1986) Traditional antiparasitic drugs in China. Parasitol Today 2:353–355

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Hereby, we gratefully acknowledge the thorough work of Mrs. Susanne Walter and Tim Mehlhorn, preparing the final versions of the text. Furthermore, we thank cordially the Centre of Excellence (College of Science) of the King Saud University Riyadh, Saudi- Arabia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heinz Mehlhorn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Abdel-Ghaffar, F., Semmler, M., Al-Rasheid, K.A.S. et al. The effects of different plant extracts on intestinal cestodes and on trematodes. Parasitol Res 108, 979–984 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2167-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2167-5

Keywords

Navigation