Pharmaceutical Biology

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Anthelmintic Activity of Medicinal Plants Used

in Northern Côte d'Ivoire Against Intestinal
Helminthiasis

W. Mamidou Koné, K. Kamanzi Atindehou, Traoré Dossahoua & Bruno

Betschart

To cite this article: W. Mamidou Koné, K. Kamanzi Atindehou, Traoré Dossahoua & Bruno
Betschart (2005) Anthelmintic Activity of Medicinal Plants Used in Northern Côte d'Ivoire Against
Intestinal Helminthiasis, Pharmaceutical Biology, 43:1, 72-78, DOI: 10.1080/13880200590903408

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Pharmaceutical Biology
2005, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 72–78

Anthelmintic Activity of Medicinal Plants Used in Northern Côte

d’Ivoire Against Intestinal Helminthiasis

W. Mamidou Koné1,2, K. Kamanzi Atindehou1,2, Traoré Dossahoua1, and Bruno Betschart3

1
Laboratoire de Botanique, UFR Biosciences, Université de Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; 2Centre Suisse de
Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; 3Institut de Zoologie, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel,
Switzerland

Abstract
Based on the results of ethnomedical and ethnoveterin-
ary surveys that we had carried out in northern Côte
d’Ivoire during 1999–2001, 79 plant species belonging
to 36 families were selected for in vitro anthelmintic
screening. The activity of ethanol crude extracts was
investigated using the nematode Haemonchus contortus
Rudolphi (1803) as the test species. Of 115 extracts
tested, 50 showed larvicidal activity and two were ovi-
cidal. The most active came from Sclerocarya birrea
(A. Rich) Hochst followed by Lannea kerstingii Engl. &
K. Krause, Aframomum alboviolaceum (Ridely) K.
Schum., Pericopsis laxiflora (Benth) van Meeuwen, Pseu-
docedrela kotschyi (Schweinf.) Harms, Securidaca longe-
pedunculata Fres., Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. &
Thonn.) Müll. Arg., Anthostema senegalense A. Juss,
Ficus vallis-choudae Del., Ampelocissus grantii (Lour)
Merrill, Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn, and Hibiscus
asper Hook f. The results supported the traditional uses
of some of the tested plants in the treatment of intestinal
helminthosis. As Haemonchus contortus is a pathogenic
nematode in small ruminants, the active plant species
could be a potential source of new lead anthelmintic
agents.
Keywords: Anthelmintic activity, Côte d’Ivoire, Ferkes-
sédougou, Haemonchus contortus, medicinal plants.
Introduction
Livestock are important in supporting the livelihoods of
poor farmers, consumers, traders, and laborers through-
out the developing world. The enhancement of livestock-
production systems will have an important impact in
order to favor a sustainable development and to improve
the conditions of the poor population (FAO, 2002). In
the Côte d’Ivoire as well as in many West African coun-
tries, the dominant systems of livestock production are
traditional pastoral and sedentary village husbandry. In
these conditions gastrointestinal nematode infections
are of considerable economic importance, causing clini-
cal disease with mortalities but more importantly by
causing chronic production losses as a result of reduced
weight gain, weight loss, and reduced milk production
(FAO, 1992). Among the helminths encountered in the
Côte d’Ivoire, the parasites of the genus Haemonchus
represent the dominant species in cattle and small rumi-
nants (Komoin-Oka et al., 1999, 2000; Achi et al.,
2003a,b). Under field conditions in the savanna in north-
ern Côte d’Ivoire, Haemonchus contortus Rudolphi
(1803) was found in 96.5% and 97.6% of the sheep
and goat populations studied, respectively, and the pro-
portion of this species within the total number of worms
identified in these hosts was 96.1% for sheep and 89.4%
for goats (Achi et al., 2003c). This gastrointestinal nema-
tode is one of the most common and widespread patho-
genic parasites, with a largest clinical and economic
impact on sheep and goat production (FAO, 1992).
An efficient therapy of worm infections remains a
problem in many breeding areas in Côte d’Ivoire. Hardly
any control of parasitic gastroenteritis infections is prac-
ticed in most traditional production systems (Baker,
1995; Chiejina, 1995). Modern veterinary cure is inef-
ficient because of the relatively high cost of anthelmin-
tics, the scarcity of modern anthelmintic drugs, and the
inaccessibility of many villages as well as the nomadic

Accepted: October 8, 2004

Address correspondence to: Mamidou Koné, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), 01 B.P. 1303 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire.
E-mail: mamidou.kone@csrs.ci

DOI: 10.1080/13880200590903408 # 2005 Taylor & Francis Ltd.

 Anthelmintic plants from Côte d’Ivoire
and transhumant tradition. Herbal treatments are there-
fore often used as a potential alternative, and people
know a great deal about medicinal plants in the breeding
areas such as the Ferkessédougou region in the north of
Côte d’Ivoire. At first, an ethnobotanical survey was car-
ried out in this area in 1999–2001 on plants used in tra-
ditional medicine to treat intestinal worm infections and
associated discomforts.
The biological activity of medicinal plants against hel-
minths is poorly investigated, and a corresponding litera-
ture about anthelmintic activity of medicinal plants from
the Côte d’Ivoire is scarce (Engoué, 1986; N’goran, 1986;
Diehl, 1998; Okpekon et al., 2004).
As a single, inexpensive, and available alternative, tra-
ditional medicine is often used in the form of herbal
treatment. Studies on medicinal plants used for animal
health could contribute to increase livestock production
in Côte d’Ivoire. In this paper, we report the in vitro
anthelmintic activity of 79 of the 137 plants collected in
a 1999–2001 survey.
Materials and Methods
Plant selection
Seventy-nine plant species belonging to 36 families were
selected for in vitro anthelmintic screening on the basis
of a questionnaire study carried out during 1999–2001
in the Ferkessédougou region. This area is located in
northern Côte d’Ivoire about 585 km from Abidjan.
The traditional use of the selected plants is shown in
Table 1. Breeders as well as healers for traditional treat-
ment of intestinal worm infections and discomforts
associate use as individual applications rather than as
mixtures for most of these plant species. The plant spe-
cies were identified by a botanist (Henri Tere, CSRS).
Voucher specimens are preserved in the herbarium of
the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS)
in Adiopodoumé, Côte d’Ivoire.
Preparation of crude extracts
After collection, plant parts were dried at ambient tem-
perature. For the laboratory analysis, they were dried
in an air-conditioned room (18C) and then pounded
by hand. Crude plant extracts were then prepared by
extracting the plant powders in a 10-fold excess of 90%
ethanol, with mechanical stirring, during 14 h at room
temperature (25C). The ethanol was completely evapo-
rated at 40C, and the extracts were lyophilized and
stored at 4C until the in vitro screening.
Isolation of eggs
Sheep were experimentally infected with 3000–6000
third-stage larvae (L3) of a local isolate of Haemonchus
73
contortus. Three weeks after infection, fecal egg counts
were made to determine the number of eggs produced
by the sheep. A number of 3000 eggs per gram feces
(EPG) were considered as a reasonable level to under-
take anthelmintic tests. Feces were collected in the
morning and triturated during 5–10 min to obtain a soft
paste that was diluted with tap water and filtered
through a coarse gauze. The filtrate was passed through
a sieve with 32-mm pore size using an abundant water
flow. The retained solid part was collected, solubilized
in a saturated sugar solution (1:3) to obtain 200 to
250 ml of suspension, and centrifuged at 1500 rpm=min
min during 10 min. The supernatant was passed through
two sieves composed of, first, a 50-mm, followed by a
32-mm meshwork superimposed. The eggs retained on
the second sieve were recovered using water. The sus-
pension was adjusted with water to obtain a concen-
tration of 80 eggs per 20 ml.
Anthelmintic tests
The anthelmintic assays were performed using the
method previously described by Diehl (1998). Lyophi-
lized plant extracts (30 mg) were suspended in 1 ml
of DMSO and diluted with demineralized water to final
concentrations from 1.7 to 0.0013 mg=ml in wells of
flat-bottomed microtitration plates. Agar (140 ml)
(45–50C) containing 2% of amphotericin B was added
to the wells, and 80 eggs were transferred onto the agar.
The microtitration plates were kept in a humid atmos-
phere (90%) during 6 days at 27C. In order to monitor
the normal development of the larvae, wells containing
eggs in water only were used. The number of unhatched
eggs and the number of larvae were counted; the develop-
mental stages of larvae and their mobility were also
noted. The larvicidal (LC100) or ovicidal (OC100) concen-
tration was defined as the lowest concentration that was
still able to block completely the normal larval develop-
ment. The tests were repeated three times with all
extracts that showed some anthelmintic effect. Ivermec-
tin and fenbendazole, commercial anthelmintics, were
used as standard controls (from 0.283 to 1:67
10 4 mg=ml).
Results
Of 115 crude extracts tested, 52 (45.22%) showed some
activity against Haemonchus contortus. When consider-
ing LC100 values, the most active extracts containing lar-
vicide potency (0.0963–0.00546 mg=ml) were obtained
from 15 plant species belonging to 13 families. These
plants were Sclerocarya birrea followed by Lannea ker-
stingii, Aframomum alboviolaceum, Pericopsis laxiflora,
Pseudocedrela kotschyi, Securidaca longepedunculata,
Anogeissus leiocarpus, Alchornea cordifolia, Annona
74 W.M. Koné et al.

Table 1. Traditional uses of medicinal plants from the Ferkessédougou region selected for anthelmintic screening.

Plant species (family) Plant part used Traditional uses

Acacia kirkii Oliv. (Mimosaceae) Stem bark Diarrhea of cattle

Acacia polyacantha Willd subsp. campylacantha (Hochst. Stem bark Cough
ex A Rich) Brenan (Mimosaceae)
Aframomum alboviolaceum (Ridley) K. Schum. (Zingiberaceae) Roots Rheumatic
Afzelia africana Smith ex Pers. (Caesalpiniaceae) Leaves Women and infant cures
Agelanthus dodoneifolius (DC.) Polhill & Wiens Leaves Anemia
(Loranthaceae)
Alchornea cordifolia (Schum. & Thonn.) Müll. Arg. Leaves Diarrhea
(Euphorbiaceae)
Allophyllus africanus P. Beauv. (Sapindaceae) Leaves Malnutrition
Alternanthera pungens Kunth in H. B. & K. (Amaranthaceae) Whole plant Diarrhea, abdominal pain
Ampelocissus grantii (Lour) Merrill. (Vitaceae) Roots Constipation
Andira inermis (Wright) DC (Fabaceae) Stem bark Cough, fever
Annona senegalensis Pers (Annonaceae) Roots Diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal
pain, vomiting
Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC.) Guill. & Perr. (Combretaceae) Roots Intestinal worms, diarrhea,
dysentery, anemia
Anthostema senegalense A. Juss (Euphorbiaceae) Stem bark Intestinal worms
Antidesmavenosum Tul. (Euphorbiaceae) Stem bark Intestinal worms
Asparagus africanus Lam. (Asparagaceae) Leaves Urinary infections
Baissea multiflora A. DC. (Apocynaceae) Roots Urinary infections
Bridelia ferruginea Benth. (Euphorbiaceae) Leaves Intestinal worms
Carissa edulis (Forssk.) Vahl. (Apocynaceae) Roots=stem bark Diarrhea
Cassia sieberiana DC. (Caesalpiniaceae) Leaves Intestinal worms, abdominal pain
Cissus populnea Guill & Perr. (Vitaceae) Roots Wounds, intestinal worms
Cochlospermum planchonii Hook. f. (Cochlospermaceae) Roots Abdominal pain, cough
Combretum molle R. Br. ex G. Don (Combretaceae) Stem bark Diarrhea, abdominal pain
Combretum racemosum P. Beauv. (Combretaceae) Roots Wounds
Crossopteryx febrifuga (Afzel. ex G. Don.) Benth (Rubiaceae) Leaves Diarrhea
Cussonia arborea Hochst. Ex A. Rich (Araliaceae) Leaves Cough
Cyperus articulatus Linn. (Cyperaceae) Rhizoma Diarrhea, vomiting
Dichrostachys cinerea subsp. cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn. Leaves Dysentery
(Mimosaceae)
Entada africana Guill. & Perr. (Mimosaceae) Stem bark Intestinal worms, diarrhea
Eriosema griseum Bak. (Fabaceae) Leaves Infant cure
Erythrina senegalensis DC. (Fabaceae) Roots=stem bark Dysentery, abdominal
Ficus congensis Engl. (Moraceae) Leaves Intestinal worms
Ficus dekdekena (Miq.) A. Rich. (Moraceae) Leaves Diarrhea
Ficus platyphylla Del. (Moraceae) Stem bark Anemia, vomiting
Ficus sycomorus Linn. (Moraceae) Leaves Zootechnic practices
Ficus vallis-choudae Del. (Moraceae) Stem bark Heart problems
Flueggea virosa Linn. (Euphorbiaceae) Leaves Vomiting
Garcinia afzelii engl. (Clusiaceae) Roots Cough, fever
Hibiscus asper Hook. f. (Malvaceae) Whole plant Eyes problems
Hoslundia opposita Vahl (Labiaceae) Roots Abdominal pain
Hymenocardia acida Tul. (Hymenocardiaceae) Roots Diarrhea, abdominal pain
Keetia hispida (Benth.) Bridson (Rubiaceae) Leaves Fever, pneumonia
Khaya senegalensis (Ders.) A. Juss (Meliaceae) Stem bark Diarrhea, intestinal worms,
constipation
Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae) Roots Abdominal pain
Landolphia owariensis P. Beauv. (Apocynaceae) Leaves Diarrhea
Lannea acida A. Rich (Anacardiaceae) Stem bark Diarrhea, dysentery, abdominal pain,
anemia
Lannea kerstingii Engl. & K. Krause (Anacardiaceae) Leaves Sterility
Lophira lanceolata Van Tiegh. ex Keay (Ochnaceae) Stem bark Diarrhea, intestinal worms

(Continued)
 Anthelmintic plants from Côte d’Ivoire 75

Table 1. (Continued)

Plant species (family) Plant part used Traditional uses

Maranthes polyandra (Bak.) White (Chrysobalanaceae) Stem bark Dysentery

Maytenus senegalensis (Lam.) Exell (Celastraceae) Leaves Intestinal worms, diarrhea
Mimusops kummel Hochst. ex A. DC. (Sapotaceae) Stem bark Intestinal worms
Monotes kerstingii Gilg (Dipterocarpaceae) Leaves=roots Intestinal worms, diarrhea
Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) Leaves Abdominal pain, constipation
Olax subscorpioidea Oliv. (Olacaceae) Leaves Intestinal worms
Opilia amentalea Roxb. (Opiliaceae) Leaves Intestinal worms, anorexia
Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R. ex G. Don f. (Mimosaceae) Roots Intestinal worms, cough
Pavetta crassipes K. Schum. (Rubiaceae) Leaves Anorexia
Pericopsis laxiflora (Benth) van Meeuwen (Fabaceae) Stem bark Dysentery
Phyllanthus muellerianus Schum & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae) Leaves Anemia, vomiting, diarrhea,
abdominal pain
Piliostigma thonningii (Schumach.) Milne-Redh. Stem bark Cough
(Caesalpiniaceae)
Premna lucens A. Chev. (Verbenaceae) Roots Abdominal pain
Pseudarthria hookeri Wright & Arn. (Fabaceae) Leaves Cough
Pseudocedrela kostchyi (Schweinf.) Harms (Meliaceae) Leaves Intestinal worms
Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir (Fabaceae) Stem bark Anemia, dysentery, cough
Saba senegalensis (A. DC.) Pichon (Apocynaceae) Roots Diarrhea, dysentery
Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich) Hochst (Anacardiaceae) Stem bark Abdominal pain, cough
Securidaca longepedunculata Fres. (Polygalaceae) Roots=leaves Intestinal worms, anemia, anorexia,
abdominal pain
Starchytarpheta cayennensis (L. C. Rich.) Vahl (Verbenaceae) Whole plant Diarrhea, dysentery
Sterculia setigera Del. (Sterculiaceae) Stem bark Intestinal worms
Strychnos spinosa Lam (Loganiaceae) Roots Abdominal pain, cough
Sygygium guineense (Willd.) DC. (Myrtaceae) Stem bark Cough
Terminalia schimperiana Hochst. (Combretaceae) Leaves Cough
Tetracera alnifolia Willd. (Dilleniaceae) Leaves Abdominal pain
Trema guineensis Schum. & Thonn. (Ulmaceae) Leaves Intestinal worms
Trichilia emetica Vahl (Meliaceae) Roots Abdominal pain, constipation
Uapaca togoensis Pax (Euphorbiaceae) Leaves Vomiting, cough
Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn (Sapotaceae) Roots Diarrhea with blood
Waltheria lanceolata Mast. (Sterculiaceae) Leaves Diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting, cough
Ximenia americana Linn. (Olacaceae) Roots Diarrhea, cough
Xiroderris stuhlmanii (Taub) Mendonça & Sousa (Fabaceae) Stem bark Infant cures

senegalensis, Anthostema senegalense, Piliostigma thon-
ningii, Ficus vallis-choudae, Ampelocissus grantii, Vitel-
laria paradoxa, and Hibiscus asper (Table 2). Only 2
extracts exhibited ovicidal activity with OC100 value of
0.849 mg=ml. These came from Hoslundia opposita and
Cochlospermum planchonii (Table 2).
It was observed that a great number of active extracts
came from plant species belonging to botanical families
such as Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae,
and Anacardiaceae (Table 2).
Discussion and Conclusions
The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic
potency of plants used in traditional medicine in Côte
d’Ivoire for the treatment of intestinal helminthosis.
Some of the plants used in Côte d’Ivoire to heal
intestinal worm infections do contain ovicidal or larvi-
cidal activity against Haemonchus contortus, a gastro-
intestinal nematode responsible for important losses in
small ruminant production. Most of these tested plant
species are used in ethnoveterinary medicine for the
treatment of gastroenteritis infections in the Ferkessé-
dougou region or in other areas of the Côte d’Ivoire
and Africa (Aké Assi, 1992; Bizimana, 1994). This report
ascertains the value of some of the plants used in Ivorian
traditional medicine that could be of great interest to the
development of new anthelmintic agents for the treat-
ment of animal gastrointestinal helminthosis. To a cer-
tain extent, one could expect also an action against
intestinal helminths in man, as most of these active
plants are also traditionally used in Africa for human
intestinal helminthiasis and associated discomforts. For
example, some of the most actives plants such as Annona
senegalensis (Abbiw, 1990; Aké Assi & Guinko, 1991;
76 W.M. Koné et al.

Table 2. Values of larvicidal or ovicidal concentrations (mg=ml) of active plants and anthelmintics.

Plant species and anthelmintics Family Organ tested LC100 or OC100 Type of activity

Acacia kirkii Mimosaceae Stem bark 0.43 Larvicidal

Acacia polyacantha subsp. campylacantha Mimosaceae Stem bark 0.849 Larvicidal
Aframomum alboviolaceum Zingiberaceae Roots 0.0229 Larvicidal
Afzelia africana Caesalpiniaceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Alchornea cordifolia Euphorbiaceae Leaves 0.0963 Larvicidal
Ampelocissus grantii Vitaceae Roots 0.0963 Larvicidal
Leaves 0.43 Larvicidal
Andira inermis Fabaceae Leaves 0.43 Larvicidal
Annona senegalensis Annonaceae Roots 0.0963 Larvicidal
Anogeissus leiocarpus Combretaceae Roots 0.0229 Larvicidal
Stem bark 0.0963 Larvicidal
Anthostema senegalense Euphorbiaceae Stem bark 0.0963 Larvicidal
Asparagus africanus Asparagaceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Baissea multiflora Apocynaceae Roots 0.849 Larvicidal
Bridelia ferruginea Euphorbiaceae Stem bark 0.849 Larvicidal
Cochlospermum planchonii Cochlospermaceae Roots 0.849 Ovicidal
Combretum racemosum Combretaceae Roots 0.849 Larvicidal
Crossopteryx febrifuga Rubiaceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Eriosema griseum Fabaceae Leaves 0.43 Larvicidal
Ficus congensis Moraceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Ficus dekdekena Moraceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Ficus platyphylla Moraceae Stem bark 0.43 Larvicidal
Ficus sycomorus Moraceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Ficus vallis-choudae Moraceae Stem bark 0.0963 Larvicidal
Hibiscus asper Malvaceae Whole plant 0.0963 Larvicidal
Hoslundia opposita Labiaceae Roots 0.849 Ovicidal
Hymenocardia acida Hymenocardiaceae Roots 0.43 Larvicidal
Keetia hispida Rubiaceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Khaya senegalensis Meliaceae Stem bark 0.43 Larvicidal
Lannea acida Anacardiaceae Stem bark 0.849 Larvicidal
Lannea kerstingii Anacardiaceae Leaves 0.0229 Larvicidal
Roots 0.0963 Larvicidal
Lophira lanceolata Ochnaceae Stem bark 0.43 Larvicidal
Leaves 0.43 Larvicidal
Olax subscorpioidea Olacaceae Roots 0.43 Larvicidal
Maranthes polyandra Chrysobalanaceae Stem bark 0.849 Larvicidal
Pericopsis laxiflora Fabaceae Leaves 0.0229 Larvicidal
Piliostigma thonningii Caesalpiniaceae Stem bark 0.0963 Larvicidal
Premna lucens Verbenaceae Roots 0.849 Larvicidal
Pseudarthria hookeri Fabaceae Leaves 0.849 Larvicidal
Roots 0.849 Larvicidal
Pseudocedrela kostchyi Meliaceae Roots 0.0229 Larvicidal
Stem bark 0.0963 Larvicidal
Sclerocarya birrea Anacardiaceae Stem bark 0.00546 Larvicidal
Roots 0.0229 Larvicidal
Securidaca longepedunculata Polygalaceae Roots 0.0229 Larvicidal
Starchytarpheta cayennensis Verbenaceae Whole plant 0.849 Larvicidal
Trema orientalis Ulmaceae Stem bark 0.849 Larvicidal
Uapaca togoensis Euphorbiaceae Stem bark 0.849 Larvicidal
Vitellaria paradoxa Sapotaceae Roots 0.0963 Larvicidal
Waltheria lanceolata Sterculiaceae Leaves 0.43 Larvicidal
Ximenia americana Olacaceae Roots 0.849 Larvicidal

Ivermectin 0.00096 Larvicidal

Fenbendazole 0.0123 Larvicidal
 Anthelmintic plants from Côte d’Ivoire
Lejoly et al., 1994, Neuwinger, 1996; Koné et al., 2002),
Anogeissus leiocarpus (Abbiw, 1990; Aké Assi & Guinko,
1991; Koné et al., 2002; Okpekon et al., 2004), Lannea
kerstingii (Abbiw, 1990; Arbonnier, 2002), Sclerocarya
birrea (Abbiw, 1990; Lejoly et al., 1994; Iwu, 1993),
Securidaca longepedunculata (Iwu, 1993; Lejoly et al.,
1994), and Pseudocedrela kotschyi (Abbiw, 1990) are
widely used in African traditional medicine against intes-
tinal worm infections. For other plant species, such as
Vitellaria paradoxa and Pericopsis laxiflora, the tra-
ditional use for symptomatic treatment (diarrhea, dysen-
tery, and abdominal pain) had switched to anthelmintic
properties.
Previous studies reported the anthelmintic activity of
Securidaca longepedunculata (Ousoumanou et al., 1991;
Diehl, 1998), Anogeissus leiocarpus, Alchornea cordifolia,
and Bridelia ferruginea (Okpekon et al., 2004). Kaure-
noic acid isolated from Annona senegalensis and proto-
anthocynidin from Piliostigma thonningii displayed
some activity against Haemonchus contortus (Neuwinger,
1996; Fakae et al., 2000). The current study confirmed
the anthelmintic activity previously found in these plant
species.
Some botanical families, such as Euphorbiaceae,
Fabaceae, and Moraceae, are interesting when consider-
ing the number of active plant species. These families
could be targeted in the search for novel intestinal worm
therapeutics. Anthelmintic properties were previously
described for species of these families. For the Moraceae,
it was shown that the anthelmintic activity of the latex
was due to a proteolytic fraction, called ficin (de Amorin
et al., 1999). The pharmacological studies are advanced
on some species like Ficus glabrata (Moraceae) that are
well-known in the Amazonian area for its action against
intestinal worms. Preclinical trials resulted in the rec-
ommendation of doses for the administration of this
plant extract (Hansson et al., 1986). Euphorbiaceae are
also a promising family in displaying anthelmintic
activity. The three Euphorbiaceae species tested by
Opkekon et al. (2004) exhibited an anthelmintic activity.
From Picrodendron baccatum (Euphorbiaceae), picro-
dendrin P, a terpene, was isolated as the compound
responsible for the nematocidal activity. This substance
was ninefold more efficient than the kainic acid and san-
tonin (Watanabe et al., 1999). All these could be corro-
borated by the antiparasitic activity previously found
in some plant species of this family. For example,
Euphorbia hirta had been shown to be effective in vitro
and in vivo against the protozoan parasite Entamoeba
(Sofowora, 2002).
This study provides evidence that some of the plants
used in Côte d’Ivoire for traditional treatment of intes-
tinal helminthiasis could be leads for new veterinary
anthelmintic agents. Phytochemical investigations are
underway on three plants in order to identify the active
principle(s) responsible for anthelmintic activity.
77
Acknowledgments
We are thankful to our sponsors: the Centre Suisse de
Recherches Scientifiques in Côte-d’Ivoire (CSRS) and
the International Foundation for Science (IFS, grant
B=3177). Thank are also due to all the breeders and hea-
lers we met in the Ferkessédougou region.
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