Evaluation of South African Plants with Acaricide Activity against Ticks

Authors: G. Fouché, J. N. Eloff, K. Wellington

Abstract:

Acaricides are commonly used to control ticks but are toxic, harmful to the environment and too expensive to resource-limited farmers. Traditionally, many communities in South Africa rely on a wide range of indigenous practices to keep their livestock healthy. One of these health care practices includes the use of medicinal plants and this offers an alternative to conventional medicine. An investigation was conducted at the CSIR in South Africa, and selected indigenous plants used in communities were scientifically evaluated for the management of ticks in animals. 17 plants were selected from 239 plants used traditionally in South Africa. Two different organic extracts were prepared from the 17 samples, resulting in 34 plant samples. These were tested for efficacy against two tick species, namely Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus turanicus. The plant extracts were also screened against Vero cells and most were found to have low cytotoxicity. This study has shown that there is potential for the development of botanicals as natural acaricides against ticks that are non-toxic and environmentally benign.

Keywords: Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus turanicus, ticks, plant extracts, South Africa.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1131796

References:

[1] Markets and Markets, Market study conducted for the CSIR titled “Animal parasiticides market”, 2014, pp. 1–51.
[2] A. Bram, Tick-borne livestock diseases and their vectors: The global problem. In: ticks and tick-borne diseases. FAO Animal Production and Health. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 1983, pp. 7–11.
[3] A. Estrada-Pe˜na, A. Bouattour, J. L. Camicas, A. Guglielmone, I. Horak, F. Jongejan, A. Latif, R. Pegram, A. R. Walker, 2006. The known distribution and ecological preferences of the tick subgenus Boophilus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Africa and Latin America. Exp. Appl. Acarol. 2006, 38, 219–235.
[4] R. D. Shaw, M. Cook, R. E. Carson, Developments in the resistance status of the southern cattle tick to organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. J. Econ. Entomol. 1968, 61, 1590–1594.
[5] L. J. McGaw, V. Steenkamp, J. N. Eloff, Evaluation of Athrixia bush tea forcytotoxity, antioxidant activity, caffeine content and presence of pyrrolizidinealkaloids. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2007, 110, 16–22.
[6] A. Hutching, A. H. Scott, G. Lewis, A. Cunningham, Zulu Medicinal Plants: An Inventory. University of Natal Press, Scottsville, 1996.
[7] L. J. McGraw, J. N. Eloff, Ethnoveterinary use of southern African plants and scientific evaluation of their medicinal properties. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2008, 119, 559-574.
[8] B. Van Wyk, B. van Oudtshoorn, N. Gericke, Medicinal Plants of South Africa (2nd Ed). Briza Publications, Pretoria. 2009.
[9] H. De Wet, F. R. van Heerden, B van Wyk, Alkaloids of Antizoma angustifolia, Biochem. Systematics and Ecol. 2004, 32, 1145–1152.
[10] R.T. Narendhirakannan, S. Subramanian, M. Kandaswamy, Anti-inflammatory and lysosomal stability actions of Cleome gynandra L. studied in adjuvant induced arthritic rats, Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2007, 45, 1001–1012
[11] S. Nyalala, Brian Grout African spider flower (Cleome gynandra L./Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.) as a red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) repellent in cut-flower rose (Rosa hybrida L.) cultivation, Scientia Horticulturae, 2007, 114, 194–198.
[12] U.K. Sandabe, P.A. Onyeyili, G.A. Chibuzo, Phytochemical screening and effect of aqueous extract of Ficus sycomorus L. (Moraceae) stembark on muscular activity in laboratory animals, J. Ethnopharmacol., 2006, 103, 481–483.
[13] D. Van der Merwe, G. E. Swan, C. J. Botha, 2001. Use of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants in cattle by Setswana-speaking people in the Madikwe area of the North West Province of South Africa. J South African Veterinary Association, 2001, 72, 189–196.
[14] E. Van Koenen, Medicinal, Poisonous and Edible Plants in Namibia. Klaus Hess Publishers, Windhoek. W.-K. Chen, Linear Networks and Systems. 2001.
[15] V. Steenkamp, Traditional herbal remedies used by South African women for gynaecological complaints. J. Ethnopharmacol, 2003, 86: 97-108.
[16] A. Zorloni, Evaluation of plants used for the control of animal ectoparasitoses in Southern Ethiopia (Oromiya and Somali Regions). Magister Scientiae Thesis, University of Pretoria.2008.
[17] N. Chungsamarnyart, W. Jansawan, T. Tassanawat, T. Thiapayarak, Efficacy of herbal Acaricide; K U Natural Extocide against the Tick, Flea, Lice of dogs. 28th World Congress of the World small animal veterinary Association, October 24-27, 2003, Bangkok, Thailand.
[18] A. A. Adedapo, F. O. Jimoh, S. Koduru, J. A. Afolayan, P. Masika, Antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the methanol extracts of leaves and stems of Calpurnia aurea. BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 2008, 8 (53), 1–8.
[19] E. M. Varoni, M. Iriti, L. Rimondini, Plant Products for Innovative Biomaterials in Dentistry. Coatings, 2012, 2(3), 179-194.
[20] A. Notten, Gnidia squarrosa L. (Druce): Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/gnidiasquar .htm, 2004, accessed on 01/05/2017.
[21] G. Fouche, E. Khorombi, V. J. Maharaj, PCT, Treatment of erectile dysfunction and libido enhancement, US8,609,151 B2, 2013.
[22] G. Fouche, M. Ramafuthulaa, V. Maselelaa, M. Mokoena, J. Senabe, T. Leboho, B. M. Sakong, O. T. Adenubi, J. N. Eloff, K. W. Wellington, Acaricidal activity of the organic extracts of thirteen South African plants against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (Acari: Ixodidae). Vet. Parasitol.2016, 224, 39-43.