A Review of Ethnomedicinal Plants as Potential Anthelmintic Agents to Alternatively Control Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Ruminants in South Africa
Table 3
Different anthelmintic phytochemicals found in plant extracts and their effect on gastrointestinal nematodes that infect ruminants.
Anthelmintic phytochemicals
Mode of action
Saponins
Targets the permeability of the cuticle of the parasites.
Benzyl isothiocyanate
Paralyses the motor activity and metabolism of the parasite.
Cysteine proteinases
Contains proteolytic chymopapain and papain, which are responsible for the breakdown of the parasites’ cuticle.
Isoflavones
Affects the glycolysis and glycogenolysis activity enzymes and calcium ions of the parasite.
Artemisinin
Causes the cleavage of endoperoxide bridges by iron-producing free radicals. This stresses the biological molecules of the parasite through oxidation.
Phenolic compounds
Uncouple the oxidative phosphorylation mechanism and disturb the glycoprotein of the cell surface, resulting in the death of the parasite.
Tannins
Uncouple the oxidative phosphorylation, attach to free glycoproteins of the gastrointestinal wall, and attach to the glycoproteins of the parasites causing death to the parasite.
Alkaloids
Paralyse the central nervous system, steroidal alkaloids, and oligoglycosides which suppress sucrose from travelling from the stomach to the small intestines; alkaloids act as an antioxidant, thus inhibiting homeostasis condition excellent for parasite development.
