ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun, Medziphema, Nagaland 797106, India.
Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2024 Sep;54:101088. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101088. Epub 2024 Jul 22.
Leech infestation poses a significant threat to Mithun (Bos frontalis) in the north-eastern region of India, leading to various health issues and potential fatality. To address this pressing concern, we conducted a comprehensive research study aimed at assessing the efficacy of herbal plant extracts against aquatic leeches, particularly Tyrannobdella rex, and land leeches of the Philobdella sp. Our investigation involved the evaluation of six distinct plant extracts, with a focus on their ability to combat leech infestation. The results of our study revealed that among the various plant extracts tested, only the ethanolic extracts of soapnut (Sapindus mukorossi) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) exhibited notable effectiveness in combating aquatic leeches. At a concentration of 5%, these extracts displayed significant lethality, with soapnut extract achieving a remarkable kill time of 6.0 ± 0.40 min, while tobacco extract showed a kill time of 31.5 ± 1.32 min. In the case of land leeches, tobacco extract proved to be highly efficient, with an average kill time of 1.5 ± 0.28 min at a 5% concentration. Soapnut extract also exhibited effectiveness against land leeches, albeit with a slightly longer kill time of 14.25 ± 1.10 min at the same concentration. Additionally, Litsea grass oil (Litsea cubeba) demonstrated promising efficacy against both aquatic and land leeches, suggesting its potential as a versatile leech control agent. These compelling findings have significant implications for the management and control of leech infestation among Mithun populations. By identifying and harnessing the leech-repelling properties of soapnut, tobacco, and Litsea grass oil, this research offers practical and environmentally friendly solutions for mitigating the adverse effects of leech infestation. Furthermore, the insights gained from this study pave the way for the development of innovative strategies to safeguard the health and well-being of Mithun in the future.
蚂蟥寄生对印度东北部的野牛（Bos frontalis）构成重大威胁，导致各种健康问题甚至潜在死亡。为了解决这一紧迫问题，我们进行了一项全面的研究，旨在评估草药植物提取物对水生蚂蟥，特别是雷氏医蛭（Tyrannobdella rex）和陆地蚂蟥（Philobdella sp.）的功效。我们的研究涉及评估六种不同的植物提取物，重点是它们对抗蚂蟥寄生的能力。研究结果表明，在所测试的各种植物提取物中，只有皂角（Sapindus mukorossi）和烟草（Nicotiana tabacum）的乙醇提取物在对抗水生蚂蟥方面表现出显著的效果。在 5%的浓度下，这些提取物表现出显著的致死性，皂角提取物的杀灭时间达到了惊人的 6.0±0.40 分钟，而烟草提取物的杀灭时间为 31.5±1.32 分钟。对于陆地蚂蟥，烟草提取物表现出高度的效率，在 5%的浓度下平均杀灭时间为 1.5±0.28 分钟。皂角提取物对陆地蚂蟥也有效，但其杀灭时间稍长，为 14.25±1.10 分钟。此外，山苍子油（Litsea cubeba）对水生和陆地蚂蟥均表现出有希望的功效，表明其作为一种多功能蚂蟥控制剂的潜力。这些引人注目的发现对野牛种群中蚂蟥寄生的管理和控制具有重要意义。通过识别和利用皂角、烟草和山苍子油的驱蚂蟥特性，本研究为减轻蚂蟥寄生的不利影响提供了实用且环保的解决方案。此外，这项研究的见解为未来保护野牛的健康和福祉开辟了创新策略的发展道路。
