Abstract

Infestation of gastrointestinal worms (helminths) contributes significantly to neonatal mortality and reduced growth performance in livestock animals. The present study was conducted to determine the phytochemical composition and the in vitro potency of ethanolic extracts of Tithonia diversifolia and Azadirachta indica on motility inhibition on Haemonchus contortus. Tithonia diversifolia and Azadirachta indica were obtained from farmers in Bulambuli district of Uganda and were treated with 70% ethanol as an extraction solvent. A standard phytochemical procedure was used for qualitative analysis. The in-vitro experiment was conducted using 2.5 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, and 20 mg/ml for each plant ethanolic extract. Moreover, phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was utilized as the control. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloid salts, saponins, flavonoids, steroid glycosides, anthracenosides, coumarins, and anthocyanosides in ethanolic extracts. A dosage of 20 mg/l of Tithonia diversifolia and Azadirachta indica indicated motility inhibition of adult Haemonchus contortus after 2.55 hours and 2.1 hours, respectively, compared to the PBS control group. In conclusion, both plant extracts showed anthelmintic activity leading to the mortality of the worms. The ethanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica were faster in causing mortality of Haemonchus contortus than those of Tithonia diversifolia at the same dose rate of 20 mg/ml.