Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Plant extracts tested for killing heartworm larvae in dogs
By Merawin, L T et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2010·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Screening of microfilaricidal effects of plant extracts against Dirofilaria immitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that certain plant extracts can kill the heartworm larvae (Dirofilaria immitis) that cause heartworm disease in dogs. The extracts from ginger (Zingiber officinale), Andrographis paniculata, and Tinospora crispa were tested in the lab, and ginger showed the best results in reducing the movement of the larvae. This is important because current heartworm treatments can sometimes cause serious side effects. While more research is needed, these plant extracts could offer a safer alternative for treating heartworm in dogs.
People also search for: dog heartworm treatment · natural remedies for heartworm in dogs · ginger for dog heartworm
Abstract
Canine dirofilariasis is a common tropical parasitic disease of companion animals, caused by infestation of Dirofilaria immitis filarids within the pulmonary arteries and extending into the right heart. Increased reports of adverse reactions elicited by current microfilaricidal agents against D. immitis such as neurological disorders, circulatory collapse and potential resistance against these agents, warrant the search for new agents in forms of plant extracts. The use of plant extracts in therapeutic medicine is commonly met with scepticism by the veterinary community, thus the lack of focus on its medical potential. This study evaluated the presence of microfilaricidal activities of the aqueous extracts of Zingiber officinale, Andrographis paniculata and Tinospora crispa Miers on D. immitisin vitro at different concentrations; 10mg/ml, 1mg/ml, 100 microg/ml, 10 microg/ml and 1 microg/ml within 24h, by evaluation of relative microfilarial motility as a measure of microfilaricidal activity. All extracts showed microfilaricidal activity with Z. officinale exhibiting the strongest activity overall, followed by A. paniculata and T. crispa Miers. It is speculated that the microfilaricidal mechanism exhibited by these extracts is via spastic paralysis based upon direct observation of the microfilarial motility.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19500810/