?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Use+of+plants+in+novel+approaches+to+control+of+gastrointestinal+helminths+in+livestock+with+emphasis+on+small+ruminants&rft.creator=Githiori%2C+John+B.&rft.creator=Athanasiadou%2C+S.&rft.creator=Thamsborg%2C+Stig+M.&rft.subject=+Health+and+welfare&rft.description=Helminth+infections+are+a+major+cause+for+reduced+productivity+in+livestock%2C+particularly+those+owned+by+the+poor+worldwide.+Phytomedicine+has+been+used+for+eons+by+farmers+and+traditional+healers+to+treat+parasitism+and+improve+performance+of+livestock%2C+and+many+modern+commercial+medicines+are+derived+from+plants.+However%2C+scientific+evidence+on+the+anti-parasitic+efficacy+of+most+plant+products+is+limited+regardless+of+their+wide+ethnoveterinary+usage.+Scientific+validation+of+the+anti-parasitic+effects+and+possible+side+effects+of+plant+products+in+ruminants+is+necessary+prior+to+their+adoption+as+a+novel+method+for+parasite+control.+%0D%0A%0D%0AA+variety+of+methods+has+been+explored+to+validate+the+anthelmintic+properties+of+such+plant+remedies%2C+both+in+vivo+and+in+vitro.+In+vitro+assays+are+mainly+performed+with+the+free-living+rather+than+the+parasitic+stages+of+nematodes.+Concentrations+of+potentially+active+substances+used+in+vitro+do+not+always+correspond+to+in+vivo+bioavailability.+Therefore%2C+in+vitro+assays+should+always+be+accompanied+with+in+vivo+studies+when+used+to+validate+the+anthelmintic+properties+of+plant+remedies.+%0D%0A%0D%0AIn+vivo+controlled+studies+have+showed+that+plant+remedies+have+in+most+instances+caused+reductions+in+the+level+of+parasitism+less+pronounced+than+that+of+anthelmintic+drugs%2C+and+only+rarely+has+reductions+similar+to+that+caused+by+synthetic+anthelmintics+been+achieved.+Whether+it+is+necessary+or+not+to+achieve+the+latter+in+order+for+plant+remedies+to+have+a+role+in+the+control+of+parasitism+depends+on+determination+of+biologically+important+levels+of+reduction+of+parasitism.++This+is+required+prior+to+the+wide-scale+use+of+plant+products+for+parasite+control.++Similarly%2C+standardisation+of+validation+studies+in+reference+to+the+numbers+of+animals+required+for+in+vivo+studies+to+measure+direct+anthelmintic+effects+of+a+plant+needs+to+be+done.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlthough+in+many+cases+the+active+compounds+in+the+herbal+remedies+have+not+been+identified+yet%2C+plant+enzymes%2C+such+as+cysteine+proteinases%2C+or+secondary+metabolites%2C+such+as+alkaloids%2C+glycosides+and+tannins+have+shown+dose-dependent+anti-parasitic+properties.+However%2C+as+some+of+the+active+compounds+may+also+have+anti-nutritional+effects+against+the+parasitised+herbivores%2C+such+as+reduced+food+intake+and+performance%2C+it+is+essential+to+validate+the+anti-parasitic+effects+of+plant+products+in+relation+to+their+potential+anti-nutritional+and+other+side+effects.+A+concerted+effort+on+isolation%2C+development%2C+and+validation+of+the+effects+of+these+herbal+remedies+will+have+to+be+undertaken+before+their+wider+acceptance.+&rft.date=2005&rft.type=Journal+paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F4512%2F1%2F4512.pdf&rft.identifier=Githiori%2C+John+B.%3B+Athanasiadou%2C+S.+and+Thamsborg%2C+Stig+M.+(2005)+Use+of+plants+in+novel+approaches+to+control+of+gastrointestinal+helminths+in+livestock+with+emphasis+on+small+ruminants.+Veterinary+Parasitology.+[+Unpublished%2C+]+**&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F4512%2F