This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Simarouba berteroana Krug & Urb. Extracts and Fractions Possess Anthelmintic Activity Against Eggs and Larvae of Multidrug-Resistant Haemonchus contortus
by
, , , , , , , , and
Marcos Javier Espino Ureña
1,2,3,
Albert Katchborian-Neto
4,
José Ribamar Garcez Neto
5,
Francisco Flávio da Silva Lopes
5,6,
Selene Maia de Morais
5,6,7,
Vitor Eduardo Narciso dos Reis
8,
Carmen Lúcia Cardoso
8,
Lorena Mayana Beserra de Oliveira
7,
Claudio Viegas Jr.
9,
Marcos José Marques
1,*
and
Wesley Lyeverton Correia Ribeiro
10
1
Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, 700 Gabriel Monteiro da Silva St., Alfenas 37130-001, MG, Brazil
2
Animal Production Center, Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research, Duarte Ave., Km 24, Pedro Brand, 340 Parcel, Santo Domingo 10205, Dominican Republic
3
Faculty of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, 1 Rogelio Roselle St., Engombe, Santo Domingo 10904, Dominican Republic
4
Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Alfenas, 700 Gabriel Monteiro da Silva St., Alfenas 37130-001, MG, Brazil
5
Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products, State University of Ceará, 1700 Dr. Silas Munguba Av., Fortaleza 60714-903, CE, Brazil
6
Doctoral Program in Biotechnology, Northeast Biotechnology Network, State University of Ceará, 1700 Dr. Silas Munguba Av., Fortaleza 60714-903, CE, Brazil
7
Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, State University of Ceará, 1700 Dr. Silas Munguba Av., Fortaleza 60714-903, CE, Brazil
8
Department of Chemistry, Group of Bioaffinity Chromatography and Natural Products, Faculty of Philosophy, Science and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil
9
Laboratory of Research in Medicinal Chemistry—PeQuiM, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Alfenas, 2600 Jovino Fernandes Sales Ave., Alfenas 37133-840, MG, Brazil
10
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, 1127 Coronel Nunes de Melo St., Rodolfo Teófilo, Fortaleza 60430-275, CE, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020090
Submission received: 23 December 2024
/
Revised: 15 January 2025
/
Accepted: 20 January 2025
/
Published: 23 January 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Small Ruminants: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Control)
Simple Summary
Gastrointestinal nematode infections pose a global threat to small ruminant production, worsened by the growing resistance to existing anthelmintic drugs. This study evaluated the in vitro anthelmintic activity and chemical profile of Simarouba berteroana extracts and fractions. High levels of phenolics, tannins, and flavonoids were quantified in crude extracts and medium- and high-polarity fractions; additionally, quassinoids, terpenoid quinones, phytosterol lipids, alkaloids, and naphthoquinones were annotated. The hydroalcoholic and iso-butanol fractions showed significant inhibitory effects on Haemonchus contortus egg hatching, and the extracts and fractions adhered to eggshells, leading to evisceration and cuticle detachment in larvae. Except for the hexane fraction, all tested extracts and fractions inhibited the exsheathment of third-stage larvae. These findings indicate S. berteroana as a promising source of natural compounds for developing new anthelmintic treatments.
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematode infections significantly impact small ruminant production, causing substantial economic losses worldwide. The rising resistance to anthelmintics has led to the search for alternative treatments, including phytotherapeutic approaches. This study investigates the chemical composition and anthelmintic activity of crude extracts and fractions from Simarouba berteroana, an endemic plant from Hispaniola, against a multidrug-resistant isolate of Haemonchus contortus. Chemical analyses revealed high contents of phenolic compounds, tannins, and flavonoids and confirmed the presence of 22 quassinoids, 5 phytosterol lipids, 3 terpenoid quinones, 3 alkaloids, and 1 naphthoquinone. The hydroalcoholic and iso-butanol fractions showed the strongest egg hatching inhibition (IC50 = 0.93 and 1.21 mg/mL, respectively), while hexane fractions were less effective (p < 0.05). Fluorescence microscopy showed that the extracts and fractions adhered to eggshells, causing evisceration and cuticle detachment in hatched larvae. All extracts, except for hexane fractions, inhibited larval exsheathment at 0.3 mg/mL, with phenolic compounds being responsible for this effect. These results provide the first evidence of the ovicidal and larval exsheathment inhibition activities of S. berteroana extracts and fractions against H. contortus, highlighting their potential in managing gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Keywords:
endemic plant; exsheathment; phytotherapy; ovicidal; phenolic content; quassinoids; tannins
