The Effects of <i>Allium sativum</i> L., <i>Artemisia absinthium</i> L., <i>Cucurbita pepo</i> L., <i>Coriandrum sativum</i> L., <i>Satureja hortensis</i> L. and <i>Calendula officinalis</i> L. on the Embryogenesis of <i>Ascaris suum</i> Eggs during an In Vitro Experimental Study
Mihai-Horia Băieş,
Călin Gherman,
Zsolt Boros,
Diana Olah,
Ana-Maria Vlase,
Anamaria Cozma-Petruț,
Adriana Györke,
Doina Miere,
Laurian Vlase,
Gianina Crișan,
Marina Spînu,
Vasile Cozma
Affiliations
Mihai-Horia Băieş
Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Călin Gherman
Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Zsolt Boros
Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Diana Olah
Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ana-Maria Vlase
Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Anamaria Cozma-Petruț
Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Adriana Györke
Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Doina Miere
Department of Bromatology, Hygiene, Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Laurian Vlase
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 12 Ion Creangǎ Street, 400010 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Gianina Crișan
Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Marina Spînu
Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Vasile Cozma
Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Mǎnǎştur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ascaris suum is present in traditionally managed indoor pig herds and in industrialized farms, especially in older fatteners and sows. The increasing resistance to common antihelminthic drugs redirected research towards alternative and traditional therapies, which also include medicinal plants. This study comparatively evaluated the in vitro antiparasitic effects of Allium sativum L., Artemisia absinthium L., Cucurbita pepo L., Coriandrum sativum L., Satureja hortensis L. and Calendula officinalis L. against A. suum egg hatching and larval development. A. suum eggs were sampled from randomized fecal specimens collected from traditionally raised swine. The egg suspension (ES, 12 × 103/mL) was divided into two controls (C) (1C—1 mL ES + 1 mL distilled water, 2C—five plates of 1 mL ES + 1 mL ethanol of 70%, 35%, 17.5%, 8.75%, and 4.375%, respectively) and six experimental groups, and placed in 3 mL cell plates. The experimental groups (EG, 1–6) included ES + each alcoholic plant extract (10%, 5%, 2.5%, 1.25%, 0.625%). Both C and EG were performed in quintuplicate. All variants were incubated at 27 °C for a total of 21 days. A. suum eggs were examined after 2, 14 (L1), and 21 (L2/L3) days of incubation. The efficacy of all tested plant extracts increased with concentration. Anti-embryogenic effects on A. suum eggs were expressed by all plants. A superior influence was observed in A. sativum L., A. absinthium L., C. pepo L. and S. hortensis L. extracts, at all concentrations tested. A. sativum L. and A. absinthium L. extracts showed the strongest antihelminthic activity, while C. sativum L. and C. officinalis L. were the weakest ascaricids. Future in-depth phytochemical studies are required to identify the compounds responsible for the anthelminthic properties of these plant species.
