<div style="text-align: justify;">The present report describes the work conducted on captive wild animals (n =42) &nbsp;between 1 &ndash; 15 years of age, during a period of one year to know the prevalence and chemotherapeutic management of gastrointestinal parasites from the captive facility of &nbsp;Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park and Wildlife Animal Research Center, Katraj, Pune, Maharashtra. Fecal samples of the animals were analyzed by use of classical parasitological techniques including sedimentation and floatation and quantitative Mc Master egg counting technique. Out of the total (n=42) fecal samples screened 17 (40.50%; 95% CI 25.3-54.7%)) samples were positive for gastrointestinal parasitic infection. The prevalence of nematodes was highest (70.58%), followed by cestodes (23.52%) and coccidia (5.80%). No trematode infection was seen in the present study. The eggs/oocysts of seven different types of intestinal parasites viz., strongyle, coccidia, Toxocara spp., Trichuris spp., Capillaria spp., Diphylidium spp. and Moniezia spp., &nbsp;were observed with an intensity of + to +++ and eggs/oocysts &nbsp;per gram of faeces as 850&plusmn;585.15 in the current study. All the positive cases were administered with albendazole @ 20mg/kg body weight orally in the feed. Fecal samples of all animals were found negative for developmental stages after 15 days of treatment. Out of total 40.47 % (95% CI 25.3-54.7%) infected animals, 58.82 % animals were found infected with single infection while 41.14 % showed mixed infection. The copro-prevalence of single and mixed gastrointestinal parasites without overt clinical signs of disease or mortality as observed in the study is suggestive of subclinical infection.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Parasitological surveillance and successful treatment of gastrointestinal parasites of captive wild animals with albendazole in a zoological collection</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: A study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant and immunological profile of methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica leaves (AVE) in naturally infected sheep with gastrointestinal nematodes and compared with commonly used anthelmintic albendazole in sheep.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Fifty four sheep found positive for gastrointestinal nematodes were divided into 3 equal groups, GI (infected-untreated: control), GII (infected- AVE treated) and GIII (infected- albendazole treated). Blood samples were drawn on 5th and 14th day after treatment for analysis of oxidative stress markers such as TBARS, TAC, SOD and catalase and immunological parameters such as total immunoglobulin, IgG and IL-10. 
 
Result: Helminthiasis in sheep cause a considerable oxidative stress. The anthelmintic activity of Adhatoda vasica surpassed the conventional synthetic drug albendazole in sheep in terms of oxidative and immunological changes in blood.</div>

Effect of Adhatoda vasica (Acanthaceae) on Antioxidant and Immunological Profile in Sheep

Background: Vaccination and deworming are routine programs in cattle health management. However, the anthelmintic&rsquo;s effectiveness on the immune response in vaccinated cattle is limited. Therefore, this study investigated whether anthelmintic administration affects the oxidative stress and immunity induced by vaccination against lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Thirty-seven Thai beef cattle were divided into two groups. Group 1) 19 cattle were vaccinated against LSD with a Neethling LSD virus (LSDV) vaccine as the control group and Group 2) 18 cattle were vaccinated against LSD with a Neethling LSDV vaccine and received albendazole treatment. Then, the intensity of gastrointestinal parasite infestation, level of malondialdehyde, inflammatory cytokines and antibody titer to LSDV were investigated in both groups on day 30 of the experimental period.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results showed that the types and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites were decreased in the anthelmintic-treated group. There were no significant differences in the levels of malondialdehyde, IFN-&gamma;, TNF-&alpha; and LSD-specific antibody titers between the control and the anthelmintic treatment group (P&gt;0.05), while the expression level of IL-4 in the anthelmintic treatment group was significantly lower than in the control group (P&lt;0.05). Our study indicated that albendazole treatment did not affect oxidative stress and innate and adaptive immunity against LSDV. Moreover, single-dose albendazole therapy led to a reduction in the expression level of IL-4, which is involved in defense against parasites.

Influence of Anthelmintic Treatment on Immune Response and Oxidative Stress in Cattle Vaccinated against Lumpy Skin Disease

<div>Background: Helminth parasites of ruminants are a major factor limiting animal production in many parts of the world. Dicrocoelium dendriticum, causes liver fluke disease in ruminants and is of zoonotic and economic importance. D. dendriticum lives in the adult stage, in the bile ducts and gallbladders of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. Dicrocoeliasis causes severe pathological changes in the liver and bile system such as abscesses, granulomas and fibrosis. The objective of this study was to identify the anthelmintic activity of Vitis vinifera leaf extract against D. dendriticum and comparison with some drugs used against internal parasites. 
 
Methods: A study was performed to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of the methanolic extract of V. vinifera leaf against D. dendriticum using an adult worm motility test. Six graduated concentrations of extract (25, 50, 75, 100, a125 and 150 mg/ml), were tested at different periods and changes over time in the viability of worms were registered for 2, 4 and 6 hr. Normal RPMI-1640 medium and Albendazole were used as negative and positive control, respectively. 
 
Result: A significant elevation in mean inhibition of adult worm motility beginning 2 h post-exposure with 150 mg/ml of V. vinifera leaf extract and Albendazole. After 4 h of the exposure time, Albendazole and concentrations of 125 and 150 mg/ml of the extract resulted in significantly higher inhibited motility compared to the remaining concentrations below 125 mg/ml. The lower concentration (25 mg/ml) was significantly more lethal than the negative control (RPMI-1640 medium) at 6 h of exposure. Within 6 h after exposure, concentrations of 100, 125 and 150 mg/ml of V. vinifera leaf extract were more effective against adult worms than the remaining concentrations below 100 mg/ml. As the concentration and duration of exposure increased, the mortality of adult worms and also increased death for all parasites (P&lt;0.05). Each concentration damages the tegument and muscles of D. dendriticum. The increase in concentration is proportional to the increase in damage to the integument. The results of this investigation demonstrated the anthelmintic action of V. vinifera leaf extract.</div>

In vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Vitis vinifera Leaf Extract on Dicrocoelium dendriticum

Background: The safety of laboratory mice plays an important role in the success of laboratory experiments for correct and accurate results. Parasites are one of the most common diseases that affect most organisms. The worm Aspiculuris tetraptera is a common intestinal parasite of Mus musculus and rats, it is spread around the world. Aspiculuris tetraptera infection remains a problem for modern research groups; They should be excluded and monitored in rat populations due to their effects on animal health. 
 
Methods: The present study was conducted to assess the anthelmintic activity of Laurus nobilis extract in mice naturally infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera. Used was Thirty-six adult male and female (C57BL/6) mice, naturally infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera, were divided into six groups, each comprising six mice: Group 1, was the negative control (infected, untreated) and Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were treated with 50, 100, 200 and 400 &micro;g/ml of L. nobilis for 5 days respectively. Group 6 was treated with 10 mg/mL Albendazole for 3 days as a positive control. Different six treatments were used to test Aspiculuris tetraptera worms in vitro, Containing 4 concentrations (50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/ml) of L. nobilis extract. Ten actively moving adult worms were then placed in each petri dish at room temperature. A saline solution and 10 mg/ml of Albendazole were prepared and used as negative and positive controls. After treatment, observations were made by recording the death time for worms at 20, 40, 80, 120 and 180 minutes. Worms are considered dead if they do not move for 30 seconds after touching their body parts using a surgical needle and the petri dish is shaken. 
 
Result: The analysis of phytochemicals by FT-IR for alcoholic extracts of L. nobilis extracts revealed the presence of 15% effective chemical ingredients responsible for killing worms&rsquo; activity. In vitro, worms died in 20, 40, 80, 120 and 180 minutes. Attained 96% and 100% after 180 minutes at the highest concentrations (200 and 400 mg/ml). At the same time, the untreated group lasted for long hours. The effects of the plant extract (Laurus nobilis) on Aspiculuris tetraptera worms were studied in vivo at therapeutic doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/mL. and the concentration of 400 ml/kg showed the most lethal effects for worms, infected mice that did not receive drugs were compared with the highest concentration of the extract and the reference treatment. The attention showed significant differences P&le;0.05. The results showed that the mortality rate of worms taken from the intestines of the treated mice that were slaughtered three and six sdays after giving the treatment reached 96% and 100% in the concentration of 400 ml/kg of the extract and 89% and 97%for the mice that treated in 10 ml/kg of met Albendazole respectively. This research showed that herbal remedies could lead to new parasitic disease drugs, and their derivatives can be used for medication production and bioactivity improvement.

The Assessment of the Anthelmintic Activity of Laurus nobilis Extract in Mice Naturally Infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera

<div>Background: Gastro-intestinal parasitism is an important worldwide animal ailment causing heavy production losses in grazing animals and it is more prevalent in developing countries like India, mainly due to warm temperature in association with poor management practices and inadequate control measures. It can affect production through weight loss, diarrhoea, anaemia, reduction in milk and wool production, reproduction changes and mortality in case of heavy infestations. The current study was planned to evaluate the in vivo anthelmintic activity of extracts of Carica papaya seeds in naturally-infested goats.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Twenty-four helminth-infested goats of either sex were randomly divided into four treatment groups (T1-T4); each having six goats and T1 served as untreated control while T2 received a single dose of albendazole @ 7.5 mg/kg body weight on day zero. Group T3 and T4 were respectively treated with aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Carica papaya seeds @ 100 mg/kg body weight orally daily for 30 days. Faecal egg count, haematological estimations and biochemical estimations were conducted on the zero, 10th, 20th and 30th day of the experiment. 
 
Result: Group T2, T3 and T4, showed a significant reduction in EPG count following treatment. All treated animals showed a significant increase in Hb, TEC, PCV and lymphocytes and a significant decrease in TLC, neutrophil and eosinophil levels on the 20th and 30th days of the experiment. The results indicated possession of good anthelmintic activity by both extracts with better results from the alcoholic extract of Carica papaya seeds. These herbal extracts can be a safe and therapeutically efficacious alternative to standard chemical drugs.&nbsp;</div>

Anthelmintic Activity of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extracts of Carica papaya Seeds in Naturally Infested Goats

The study was aimed at to investigate the anthelmintic efficacy of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cucurbita pepo against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep by scientifically validated in vitro and in vivo tests. In vitro anthelmintic activity was determined by egg hatch assay, larval migration inhibition assay and larval development assay against eggs and larvae of mixed gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. The extracts which were found to be effective in in vitro assays were further evaluated by in vivo faecal egg count reduction test against mixed species of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes with 3 different doses (125, 250 and 500 mg kg-1). Haematological and serum parameters were estimated before and after treatment to determine the impact of plant extracts on health of the animal. Aqueous extract of C. pepo demonstrated significant inhibition of egg hatch at 40 and 80 mg/ml. The ED50 value of egg hatch inhibition was 3.51mg/ml. In larval migration inhibition assay, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. pepo demonstrated inhibition of larval migration and the LM50 was 1.75 and 0.32 mg/ml respectively. However, in larval development assay, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed only marginal inhibition of larval development at all concentrations tested. In faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), aqueous extracts of C. pepo at 500 mg/kg caused significant reduction in eggs per gram (96.61 per cent) the reduction being higher than the result obtained with albendazole, the positive control (93.25 per cent). There was a significant difference in EPG reduction between sheep treated with albendazole and C. pepo. Haematological and serum parameters were not affected in both the treated and untreated sheep indicating that the extracts did not cause toxic effects. Based on the results obtained in this study, the aqueous extract of C. pepo possesses anthelmintic activity and could offer an alternative source for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep.

Anthelmintic evaluation of Cucurbita pepo against&nbsp;gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep

<div style="text-align: justify;">The aim of this study was to determine the parasitological traits and productive response in Pelibuey lambs re-infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) previously infected with different doses of infective larvae (L3). One infection with 60% Haemonchus contortus and 40% Cooperia curticei larvae was induced in three groups of six lambs using oral doses of 100, 200 and 300 L3 per kg of body weight (BW), respectively. Nine weeks post-infection all lambs were treated with albendazole (ABZ). A second parasitic infection was induced using 300 L3 per BW followed for six weeks of parasitological sampled and four lambs of each treatment were slaughtered after this period to count adult nematodes. Results showed reduction of eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) between first (2463&plusmn;4400 EPG) to second infection (327&plusmn;66 EPG) for pre-infected lambs with 300 L3. Through first infection, the packed cell volume (PCV) decreased until 35 days post-infection (32.0% to 26.0%) for all groups. In conclusion Pelibuey lambs infected with 300 L3 showed low re-infection to contribute in the reduction of parasitic traits under tropical climate.</div>

Assessment of acquired resistance in previously infected lambs with gastrointestinal nematodes in a tropical climate

<div style="text-align: justify;">Poor reproductive performance is serious limitation in exploiting the potential of cows in India. Cows are generally fed poor quality forages and imbalance mineral and concentrate mixture resulting in late maturity thereby causing economical losses to the farmers. Keeping in view present study was planned to observe the effect of mineral mixture and concentrate feed on onset of puberty of cross bred cow heifers. Eighteen cross bred cow heifers (10&plusmn;1 months old) were divided into three groups (6 heifers in each) A, B and C. Group A &nbsp;animals were reared traditionally as farmers practice, the animals were not given the mineral mixture, Urea molasses brick and balance ration. They were reared on dry fodder, seasonal green fodder and 0.5 kg concentrate (wheat/barley) per day, no deworming and served as control. Group B animals were first dewormed with anthelmintic drug, 3g bolus of Albendazole and daily offered 30 grams of mineral mixture and 1.5 kg concentrate mixture. The composition of concentrate mixture is on the basis of recommendation of National Research Council (NRC). Group C animals were also dewormed and fed with 30 grams of Urea Molasses brick and 1.5 kg Guaras concentrate feed per day. Data regarding onset of puberty was taken by observing estrous symptoms and further confirmed through rectal palpation. Asignificant effect of the mineral mixture and concentrate supplementation was noted on age at puberty. Heifers in group &ldquo;A&rdquo; reached to thepuberty at 22 &plusmn;0.76 months and animals in group &ldquo;B&rdquo; attained the same stage at 18&plusmn;0.23 months while animals in group C attained the same stage at 19&plusmn;0.66 months. Type of feedingstrategy of group B showed significant effect (P&lt;0.01) on age at puberty over feeding strategy of group A and C. It appears from the results of this study that farmers could save tremendous time andresources by feeding mineral mixture and balance concentrate to young growing stock for better animal production.</div>

Parasitological surveillance and successful treatment of gastrointestinal parasites of captive wild animals with albendazole in a zoological collection