The effect of Eupatorium odoratum foliage compared with cassava foliage on growth and intestinal nematode infestation in goats

     Vu Thi Thu Hang, Nguyen Kha Tu and Chu Duc Tuy

Goat and  Rabbit Research Centre, Vietnam
thuhangmsc@gmail.com

 

Abstract

The study was carried out in the Goat and  Rabbit Research Centre (GRRC), Vietnam, with 30 growing goats (3.5 – 4 months of age) which were allocated to the following treatments: G: Guinea grass alone (ad libitum); G-C: guinea grass ad libitum + cassava foliage (1.5% of LW on DM basis); G-E: guinea grass ad libitum + Eupatorium odoratum foliage (1.5% of LW on DM basis). The goats were not de-wormed before starting the experiment.

The live weight gain was the highest in treatment G-C (58.3 g/head/ day), meanwhile, live weight gains of goats in treatments control (Guinea grass alone) and G-E were 38.1 and 47.6g/ head/ day, respectively.  The numbers of nematode eggs (Coccidian occysts, Strongyle, Cestode) were reduced significantly during the experimental period for goats fed the G-CF and G-EF diets. By contrast on the control diet of Guinea grass the fecal eg counts increased.

Key words: Ethnomedicine, Guinea grass, parasites, tannins

Introduction

Many researchers (Khampa et al 2009; Seng et al 2007; Sokerya and Preston 2003) have suggested that a major constraint to goat production in the extensive system is the high rate of internal parasite infestation, which results in enormous socio-economic losses to small-holder farmers. Control of Gastro-Intestinal (GI) parasites in the past has relied heavily on the use of anthelmintics. These compounds have been used successfully but the development of anthelmintic resistance in GI nematodes gives a clear indication that control programs based on use of anthelmintics are not sustainable (Ho Bunyeth and Preston 2006). Increasing interest is now being shown with regards to evaluating non-chemotherapeutic approaches to parasite control.  Among these alternative approaches, the use of bioactive plants/forages has received recent research attention. For example the research by Sokerya and Rodriguez (2001) and Preston (no date) showed that growth rate of confined goats was higher and nematode infestation lower, when the basal diet was supplemented with cassava foliage.

The flowering shrub Eupatorium odoratum originated in the humid tropics and sub-humid tropics of the New World where it occurs from southern Florida to northern Argentina. It has been introduced and is naturalized throughout humid, tropical Asia, from the Western Ghats in India throughout Indochina and Malaysia to south-eastern Australia and the Mariana Islands in the east  (McFadyen 1988). Eupatorium odoratum is also found widely distributed in Vietnam. Research by Panda et al (no date) suggested that Eupatorium odoratum foliage could be used not only as forage source for animal production but  also as anthelmintic medicine.

On the basis of these considerations, a study was done on the effects of Eupatorium odoratum foliage compared with cassava foliage on growth and intestinal nematode infestation in growing goats.

Material and methods

Animals

Thirty growing crossbred goats (Saanen-Barbari) of 3.5 – 4 months of age were allocated to 3 treatments with 10 replications per treatment. The treatments were:

G: Guinea grass alone

 G-CF: guinea grass  + cassava foliage (Photo 1)  (1.5% of LW DM basis)

G-EOF: guinea grass + Eupatorium odoratum  foliage (Photo 2) (1.5% of LW DM basis)

Photo 1. The cassava foliage used in the experiment	Photo 2. The Eupatorium odoratum foliage used in the experiment

The goats were vaccinated against pasteurellosis, enterotoxaemia and foot and mouth disease, however, they were not de-wormed before starting the experiment.

Experimental feeds

Guinea grass was fed ad libitum in all treatments. It was chopped and fed in a trough, in 4 meals per day (at 7:30; 10:30; 14:30 and 16:30). The fresh foliages of cassava and Eupatorium odoratum  were hung on the wall of the pen and offered in 2 meals per day.  Water was  given freely. The experiment lasted for 84 days.

Measurements

The chemical analyses (DM,  crude protein and condensed tannins) of cassava, Eupatorium odoratum and guinea grass were determined by AOAC (1990) methods. The goats were weighed every 2 weeks and samples of feces collected from the rectum at intervals. Feed intakes were recorded daily.

Statistical analysis

The data from the experiment were analyzed using the General Linear Model option in the ANOVA program of the Minitab software (2000). The statistical model used in the analysis was:    Y= µ +T_i +e_{i .}  

Y is the dependent variable, µ is the overall mean, T_i is the effect of treatments (the diets), e_i is the residual error.

Results

The chemical composition of the feeds

Eupatorium odoratum foliage had the same content of crude protein (CP) as the cassava foliage but twice the level of tannins (Table 1).  

Feed intake and live weight again

DM and crude protein intakes were higher for the diets of G-CF and G-EF than for Guinea grass alone (Table 2). The live weight gain was highest for the G-CF diet followed  by G-EF and Guinea grass.  

The effect of the different experimental diets on internal parasites

Generally, the numbers of nematode eggs (coccidian occysts, strongyle, Cestode) were reduced significantly during the experimental period for goats fed the G-CF and G-EF diets. The G-EF diet had higher effect on the reduction of strongyle eggs and occidian occysts as compared to the G-CF diet (P<0.05), but no difference in the reduction of cestode egg was found between these two diets (P>0.05). The number of nematode eggs increased gradually for goats fed Guinea grass alone.  The diets with high content of tannin reduced significantly the number of parasite eggs as compared to the diet with low tannin content (Table 3 and Figures 1-3).  

Discussion

The growth rates of the goats fed the G-CF and G-EF diets were higher than on Guinea grass alone. Moreover, the numbers of Nematode egg/g faeces decreased significantly during the experiment for the goats fed the supplements of  Eupatorium odoratum and cassava foliages. In contrast, the number of Nematode eggs increased gradually during this time for goats fed the control diet (Guinea grass alone). The relative effect of the cassava and Eupatorium odoratum foliages was directly proportional to their content of tannins.Although, this observation was for a limited time period,  it is consistent with other studies comparing diets with and without condensed tannins (Athanasiadou et al 2000; Butter et al 2000; Kabasa et al 2000; Nieze et al 1998; Seng Sokerya and Rodríguez 2001; Seng Sokerya and Preston 2003; Nguyen Kim Lin et al 2003). The question of whether the effect of tannins on FEC is an indirect anthelmintic effect, a direct effect, or a combination of both (Athanasiadou et al 2000a) is a subject of debate.  According to Nieze et al (1998) and Molan et al (2002) this illustrates that the condensed tannins have potential to control anthelmintic-resistant gastro-intestinal parasites by direct or indirect biological effect. The direct effect can be mediated through interaction between condensed tannins and nematodes, affecting physiological function of gastro-intestinal parasites through interference with parasite hatching and the development of infective stage larvae.  Barry and McNabb (1999) and Nieze et al (2002) indicated that the indirect effect of condensed tannins can be through increased resistance to gastro-intestinal parasite infection through enhancing the protein supply, which is prioritized for tissue repair and immune response.

Conclusions

• The results support the view that foliage plants with high tannin content can decrease FEC in goats. 

• Natural foliages such as Eupatorium odoratum could be used in the farms where goats are in a free grazing system. This indigenous knowledge needs to be harnessed to reduce the use of anthelmintic drugs, or to increase the effectiveness of these drugs and reduce the economic cost.

References

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