Discipline: Biochemistry
Discovering the efficacy of herbal alternatives for human and animal population has been carried out in the last few decades. The study investigated the efficacy of Orthosiphon aristatus aqueous crude extract as anthelmintics. Phytochemical screening and in vivo laboratory experiments were pursued in Lal-lo, Cagayan, Philippines. The crude extract of the stems and leaves of O. aristatus responded positively to all the test reagents and solutions used to screen for alkaloid, saponin and tannin. Volatile oil was collected from the samples through steam distillation. The computed percent efficacy, 92.48%, shows that O. aristatus aqueous crude extract has anthelmintic potential. The anthelmintic property of the plant sample is attributed to the presence of screened phytochemicals. The treated swine were given extract concentrations- 25%,50% and 75% in three ages-15- 17, 18-20, and 21-23 weeks, respectively. The concentrations were administered at a constant dose of 5g/kg body weight. The collected feces from the swine were examined using the Modified McMaster Egg-counting Technique. Adult worms were observed with magnifying lens. The results revealed that treated swine manifested decreased number of worm eggs and reduced number of adult worms. The study concludes that Orthosiphon aristatus crude extract effectively controls swine parasites.