The use of indigenous parasitic plant (Viscum verrocosum) in reducing faecal egg counts in female Tswana goats

Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the potential benefit of feeding a diet containing Viscum verrucosum on reducing faecal egg count (FEC) in female Tswana goats. Twelve animals, which had naturally acquired intestinal worms, were used in the study that lasted 29 days. Two groups of animals were balanced for live weight and initial FEC and were randomly allocated to Control (n=6; 16.2±1.11kg; 2.88±0.07 FEC) and Treatment (n=6; 16.9±1.11kg; 2.91±0.07 FEC). The animals were individually penned where they were given the experimental diets and clean water each day at 8.00 am. The Treatment group was given a diet containing V. verrucosum supplying 8.9 g/d condensed tannins; the Control animals were given a V. verrucosum free diet. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in daily gain between the groups. The pattern of FEC over the sampling period showed a decrease in the Treatment group while the Control registered an increase in FEC. At the fourth week the difference between the groups tended (P=0.093) towards significance. The effect of V. verrucosum on FEC occurred within the first four days after the introduction of the experimental diets indicating that there may a direct anthelmintic effect on the worms. Parasitic plants, such as V. verrucosum, have been fed to small stock by resource-limited farmers and this indigenous knowledge needs to be harnessed to reduce the frequency of use of anthelmintic drugs and to increase effectiveness of these drugs.