Evaluation of the anthelmintic properties of a traditional remedy based on a mixture of red algae using an in vitro assay on gastrointestinal nematodes of donkeys

Abstract

The anthelmintic properties and composition of an Italian traditional anthelmintic remedy based on a red algae mixture (RAE) was assessed using the egg hatch test (EHT). The ability of different dilutions (1.0, 5.0, 50, or 100%) of RAE was determined and compared with the positive and negative controls against gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) of donkeys. The experiment was performed in triplicate. Data were analysed using the ANOVA and Tukey test. In the mixture, Palisada tenerrima, Laurencia intricata and Laurencia spp. red algae were identified. The 100% RAE was able to totally inhibit the egg hatch, showing an efficacy comparable (P < 0.05) to that of the reference drug (98.7%). An egg hatch reduction of 89.5, 43.7, and 23.4% was observed at 50, 5 and 1% dilutions, respectively. In conclusion, RAE was able to inhibit the egg hatch of GIN of donkeys in a concentration-dependent manner with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.968, corroborating with its anthelmintic effect.