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Castagna F, Bava R, Palma E, Morittu V, Spina A, Ceniti C, Lupia C, Cringoli G, Rinaldi L, Bosco A, Ruga S, Britti D, Musella V. Effect of pomegranate ( Punica granatum) anthelmintic treatment on milk production in dairy sheep naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1347151. [PMID: 38384955 PMCID: PMC10879392 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1347151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthelmintic drug resistance has proliferated across Europe in sheep gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). Sheep welfare and health are adversely impacted by these phenomena, which also have an impact on productivity. Finding alternatives for controlling GINs in sheep is thus of utmost importance. In this study, the anthelmintic effectiveness (AE) of a Calabrian ethnoveterinary aqueous macerate based on Punica granatum (whole fruits) was assessed in Comisana pregnant sheep. Furthermore, an examination, both qualitative and quantitative, was conducted on milk. Forty-five sheep were selected for the investigation. The sheep were divided by age, weight, physiological state (pluripara at 20 days before parturition), and eggs per gram of feces (EPG) into three homogeneous groups of 15 animals each: PG received a single oral dosage of P. granatum macerate at a rate of 50 mL per sheep; AG, treated with albendazole, was administered orally at 3.75 mg/kg/bw; and CG received no treatment. Timelines were as follows: D0, treatments, group assignment, fecal sampling, and AE assessment; D7, D14, D21, fecal sampling, and AE evaluation. The FLOTAC technique was used to evaluate the individual GIN fecal egg count (FEC) using a sodium chloride flotation solution (specific gravity = 1.20) and 100 × (1-[T2/C2]) as the formula for evaluating FEC reduction. Following the lambs' weaning, milk was collected on the following days (DL) in order to quantify production: DL35, DL42, DL49, DL56, DL63, DL70, DL77, and DL84. The amount of milk produced by every animal was measured and reported in milliliters (ml) for quantitative evaluations. Using MilkoScan TM fT + foss electric, Denmark, the quality of the milk (casein, lactose, protein concentration, and fat, expressed as a percentage) was assessed. The macerate demonstrated a considerable AE (51.8%). Moreover, its use has resulted in higher milk production rates quantitatively (15.5%) and qualitatively (5.12% protein, 4.12% casein, 4.21% lactose, and 8.18% fat). The study showed that green veterinary pharmacology could be the easiest future approach to counteracting anthelmintic resistance in sheep husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Castagna
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
- Mediterranean Ethnobotanical Conservatory, Sersale (CZ), Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Roberto Bava
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Ernesto Palma
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Research for Food Safety and Health (IRC-FISH), University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Valeria Morittu
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Antonella Spina
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Carlotta Ceniti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Carmine Lupia
- Mediterranean Ethnobotanical Conservatory, Sersale (CZ), Catanzaro, Italy
- National Ethnobotanical Conservatory, Castelluccio Superiore, Potenza, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cringoli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Bosco
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Ruga
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Domenico Britti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
- Interdepartmental Center Veterinary Service for Human and Animal Health (CISVet-SUA), University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Musella
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
- Interdepartmental Center Veterinary Service for Human and Animal Health (CISVet-SUA), University of Catanzaro Magna Græcia, Catanzaro, Italy
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