HELMINTH PREVALENCE AND ANTHELMINTHIC EFFICACY OF METHANOL LEAVES EXTRACTS OF COMMON LOCAL PLANT (VERNONIA AMAGDALYNA AND CYMBOPOGUM CITRATUS) ON FREE RANGED CHICKENS IN LOKOJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

The poultry industry is one of the most efficient animal husbandry methods and it provides nutritional security to a significant number of the world population. Using modern intensive farming techniques, global production has reached 133.4 million in 2020, with a steady growth each year. However, this industry greatly threatened by parasitic diseases which affects the productivity, growth and the impact on income, food and nutrition security, and public health and may lead to total extermination of the entire poultry farm. The control of these parasitic infections is necessary for the maintenance of healthy and productive livestock. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminths in Lokoja and to determine the comparative anthelminthic efficacy of methanol leaves extracts of common local plant Vernonia amagdalina and Cymbopogum citratus. To determine prevalence of helminths in Lokoja, eighty free ranged chickens were sacrificed and intestinal contents harvested, dissected 
and helminths isolated and identified. Local plants Vernonia amagdalina and Cymbopogum citratus leaves were collected. Overall Helminth prevalence of 78.75% was recorded in the study area. Quantitative analysis by HPLC however revealed 2350.27 mg/100g phenols, 5412.60 mg/100g flavonoids, 1655.10 mg/100g alkaloids, 2955.57 mg/100g saponins and 2949.63 mg/100g tannins in Vernonia amagdalina. 852.23 mg/100g phenols, 1021.30 mg/100g 
flavonoids, 417.33 mg/100g alkaloids, 761.77 mg/100g saponins and 546.27 mg/100g tannins in Cymbopogum citratus. Antihelminthic efficacy of methanol extracts of these plants leaves extracts in different doses of 30mg/ml (Group A), 20mg/ml (Group B), 10mg/ml (Group C) was administered to chickens as well as 30 mg/ml Albendazole (positive control) to Group D and water (negative control) to Group E. This was followed by processing fecal samples using sodium chloride floatation method. Fecal Egg Count Reduction of methanol leaves extracts results revealed most significant fecal egg count reduction occurred in chickens treated with 20 mg/ml Cymbopogon citratus and Vernonia amygdalina. The plant-derived bioactive compounds in Cymbopogon citratus and Vernonia amygdalina. particularly be potent natural alternatives to synthetic anthelmintics by effectively reducing helminthic infection in freerange poultry and thus offer a sustainable, plant-based supplements for poultry parasite management.