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

Abstract

<h4>Background and aim</h4><i>Ascaridia galli</i>, 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 <i>in vitro</i> effectiveness of a single, graded dose of the ethanol extract of <i>Andrographis paniculata</i>, <i>Phyllanthus niruri</i> L., <i>Curcuma xanthorrhiza</i> Roxb., <i>and Curcuma aeruginosa</i> Roxb. on the movement activity of adult <i>A. galli</i> every hour for 6 h, followed by an analysis of worm cuticle damage in <i>A. galli</i>.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>A randomized block design was used. Adult <i>A. galli</i> were collected from the intestinal lumen of fresh free-range chickens. Each petri dish contained two <i>A. galli</i> for each treatment with three replications. Each plant extract (<i>A. paniculata, P. niruri</i> L., <i>C. xanthorrhiza</i> Roxb., and <i>C. aeruginosa</i> 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 <i>A. paniculata</i>, <i>P. niruri</i> L., <i>C. xanthorrhiza</i> Roxb., and <i>C. aeruginosa</i> Roxb. extracts were analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The movement activity of <i>A</i>. <i>galli</i> 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 <i>A. galli</i> cuticle layer using a nano-microscope and histopathological images.<h4>Results</h4>Analysis of variance demonstrated that at doses of 250 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL, the ethanol extracts of <i>A. paniculata</i>, <i>P. niruri</i> L., <i>C. xanthorrhiza</i> Roxb., and <i>C. aeruginosa</i> Roxb. did not have a significant effect on the effectiveness of <i>A. galli</i>'s <i>motility</i> (>0.005). However, at a dose of 1000 μg/mL, the ethanol extract of <i>A. paniculata</i>, <i>P. niruri</i> L., <i>C. xanthorrhiza</i> Roxb., and <i>C. aeruginosa</i> Roxb. reduced the motility of <i>A. galli</i>. Importantly, the motility of <i>A. galli</i> in the dose of 1000 μg/mL <i>A. paniculata</i> and <i>P. niruri</i> 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 <i>A. paniculata</i> and the active compound 5-Methoxybenzimidazole in the extract of <i>P. niruri</i> L. are strongly suspected to play an important role in damaging and shedding the cuticle layer of <i>A</i>. <i>galli</i>.<h4>Conclusion</h4>All herbal extracts have anthelmintic activity at a concentration of 1000 μg/mL. Extracts of <i>A. paniculata</i>, <i>P. niruri</i> L., <i>C. xanthorrhiza</i> Roxb., and <i>C. aeruginosa</i> Roxb. have activities that can damage and dissolve the cuticle layer of <i>A</i>. <i>galli</i>, resulting in the weakening of the motility of <i>A. galli</i>.