In vitro anthelmintic activity of Phyllanthus niruri Linn., Andrographis paniculata, Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb., and Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. ethanol extracts on the motility and cuticle damage of Ascaridia galli.

Background and aim: Ascaridia galli, a nematode that frequently infects the digestive tract of chickens, is a significant concern for poultry health. In response, the use of medicinal plant-derived anthelmintics was proposed as a potential solution. This study observed the in vitro effectiveness of a single, graded dose of the ethanol extract of Andrographis paniculata, Phyllanthus niruri L., Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb., and Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. on the movement activity of adult A. galli every hour for 6 h, followed by an analysis of worm cuticle damage in A. galli.

Materials and methods: A randomized block design was used. Adult A. galli were collected from the intestinal lumen of fresh free-range chickens. Each petri dish contained two A. galli for each treatment with three replications. Each plant extract (A. paniculata, P. niruri L., C. xanthorrhiza Roxb., and C. aeruginosa Roxb.) was evaluated with three distinct doses, which were 250 μg/mL, 500 μg/mL, and 1000 μg/mL; 0.9% sodium chloride solution was used as a negative control, and 500 μg/mL Albendazole solution was used as a positive control. The active compound content of A. paniculata, P. niruri L., C. xanthorrhiza Roxb., and C. aeruginosa Roxb. extracts were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The movement activity of A. galli was determined by the percentage score value from the 1^st to the 6^th h in each treatment group, followed by analysis of damage to the A. galli cuticle layer using a nano-microscope and histopathological images.

Results: Analysis of variance demonstrated that at doses of 250 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL, the ethanol extracts of A. paniculata, P. niruri L., C. xanthorrhiza Roxb., and C. aeruginosa Roxb. did not have a significant effect on the effectiveness of A. galli's motility (>0.005). However, at a dose of 1000 μg/mL, the ethanol extract of A. paniculata, P. niruri L., C. xanthorrhiza Roxb., and C. aeruginosa Roxb. reduced the motility of A. galli. Importantly, the motility of A. galli in the dose of 1000 μg/mL A. paniculata and P. niruri L. extract groups was very weak and significantly different (p < 0.001) compared to the negative control group. The content of the active compound Andrographolide in the ethanol extract of A. paniculata and the active compound 5-Methoxybenzimidazole in the extract of P. niruri L. are strongly suspected to play an important role in damaging and shedding the cuticle layer of A. galli.

Conclusion: All herbal extracts have anthelmintic activity at a concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Extracts of A. paniculata, P. niruri L., C. xanthorrhiza Roxb., and C. aeruginosa Roxb. have activities that can damage and dissolve the cuticle layer of A. galli, resulting in the weakening of the motility of A. galli.