Parasite. 2021;28:78. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2021076. Epub 2021 Dec 6.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feed additives (pumpkin seed cake and cloves) on the egg excretion of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in sheep. Thirty ewes naturally infected with GIN were randomly selected from a flock and assigned to the following groups of 10 animals each: clove group (received 1.8 g ground cloves/ewe/day, for 7 days), pumpkin seed cake group (200 g pumpkin seed cake/ewe/day, for 7 days) and control group. Before starting the study, on day 0, and 5 days after the 7-day supplementation, on day 12, the body condition and FAMACHA scores were assessed and individual faecal egg counts (FEC) were performed. The mean body condition and the FAMACHA scores did not change significantly between day 0 and 12 with the exception of a significantly deteriorated FAMACHA score in the clove group. The percentage reduction of FEC was 40.7% on day 12 in the clove group and 52.9% in the pumpkin seed cake group. In the control group, FEC increased by 8.7%. A coproculture of faecal samples from four of the most infected animals on day 0 revealed Trichostrongylus spp. larvae L3 in all four selected ewes, Ostertagia spp. and Cooperia spp. in three and Haemonchus contortus in one ewe. These results are promising and encourage further studies aimed to evaluate the possibility that these plant supplements could be a complementary method for parasite control, thus reducing the need for chemotherapy.
本研究旨在评估饲料添加剂（南瓜籽饼和丁香）对绵羊胃肠道线虫（GIN）卵排出的影响。从一群自然感染 GIN 的 30 只母羊中随机选择，将其分为以下三组，每组 10 只动物：丁香组（每天接受 1.8 克研磨丁香/只，连续 7 天）、南瓜籽饼组（每天 200 克南瓜籽饼/只，连续 7 天）和对照组。在开始研究之前（第 0 天）、7 天补充后的第 5 天（第 12 天），评估了体况和 FAMACHA 评分，并进行了个体粪便卵计数（FEC）。除了丁香组的 FAMACHA 评分明显恶化外，第 0 天和第 12 天之间的平均体况和 FAMACHA 评分没有明显变化。第 12 天，丁香组的 FEC 降低了 40.7%，南瓜籽饼组降低了 52.9%。对照组的 FEC 增加了 8.7%。在第 0 天，对来自 4 只感染最严重的动物的粪便样本进行的粪便培养显示，在所有 4 只选定的母羊中均发现了 Trichostrongylus spp. L3 幼虫、Ostertagia spp. 和 Cooperia spp. 在 3 只羊中，Haemonchus contortus 在 1 只羊中。这些结果很有希望，鼓励进一步研究这些植物补充剂是否可能成为寄生虫控制的补充方法，从而减少对化疗的需求。
