Possibilities and Prospects of Using Plants for the Treatment of Helmintoses in Domestic Ruminants

Goal. To review the results of modern research on antihelminthic properties of plants and to outline the prospects for the use of plants with antiparasitic properties in the practice of animal husbandry in Europe. Methods. The analysis and generalization of research results of anthelmintic properties of the natural and cultivated plant species of introduced flora. The results. It has long been known that gastrointestinal helminths are a serious problem for animal health and are the most significant limitation in the grazing of domestic ruminants. A combination of optimized anthelmintic use and alternative approaches has been found to be a reasonable approach in sustainable parasite control programs. Various in vivo and in vitro methods are used to confirm the anthelmintic properties of herbal preparations in world practice. In vitro studies are useful as a preliminary screening for activity, and are mainly performed on free-living, rather than parasitic, stages of nematodes. Concentrations of potentially active compounds used in in vitro studies do not always correspond to in vivo bioavailability. Therefore, in vitro analyzes should always be accompanied by in vivo studies. Controlled in vivo studies show that, in most cases, herbal preparations resulted in significantly lower parasite clearance than synthetic anthelmintics. The results of modern research on anthelmintic properties of plants and the prospects for the use of plants with antiparasitic properties in the practice of animal husbandry in Europe are analyzed. Conclusions. In the context of the implementation of organic farming and animal husbandry systems, one cannot rely only on chemotherapeutic treatment of infectious parasitic diseases of ruminants caused by helminths. Considering the fact that phytotherapy shows a more diverse effectiveness compared to the known effectiveness of anthelmintics, it deserves a wider introduction into the practice of animal husbandry. The treatment of domestic ruminants with phytopreparations, like chemotherapy, will be effective if it is combined with grazing on ecologically and sanitary balanced pastures. For the treatment and prevention of helminthiasis in domestic ruminants, it is advisable to use ethnobotanically traditional types of plants in veterinary medicine more widely than the existing scope, the anthelmintic effectiveness of which has been reliably confirmed experimentally. Promising for further research is the search for anti-parasitic species of plants of the natural and cultivated flora of Europe, and the study of the effectiveness of their toxic action for the purpose of use in the veterinary practice of cattle breeding, pig breeding, sheep breeding and poultry farming are promising.