Traditional wormers in the 21st century

Natural remedies have been used for centuries to treat intestinal worms and parasites. Herbalists often used such anthelmintics as part of a “spring cleanse”, in conjunction with vitamin-rich tonic herbs.

Anthelmintics fall into two categories, vermicides and vermifuges. Vermicides kill the parasites, without necessarily expelling them, whereas vermifuges help expel the worms, and are usually cathartic agents, such as senna and cascara.

Popular natural vermicides include wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), which has been used since ancient times, as well as the ripened fruits of the black walnut (Juglans nigra) and dried clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum).

The active ingredients in wormwood and cloves have been identified from the plants’ essential oils, while naphthaquinones contained in the hull of the fruit of the black walnut are responsible for its vermicidal effect.

A suspension made from powdered, dried clove buds has been shown to be more than seven times as effective as piperazine. Further in vitro studies have suggested its potential use in the treatment of Toxocara canis, a parasite that has developed resistance to many widely used conventional drugs, including piperazine.

Other research has shown that the addition of tannin-containing products such as green tea and grapeseed oil to these natural anthelmintics can have a synergistic effect, increasing their effectiveness dramatically.

In developing countries, the eradication of parasites from livestock is hampered not only by the development of resistance but also by factors such as the high cost of imported drugs and a lack of education. Many farmers tend to underdose their livestock to save money or misuse the products through a lack of understanding.

Researchers at Bogar University in Indonesia have concentrated on the use of papaya latex, pineapple fruit juice and Indian mulberry, products that are not only effective vermicides but are readily available locally and relatively inexpensive. Results were encouraging in a variety of species, including poultry, sheep and pigs, against a range of parasites.

It is envisaged that commercial natural anthelmintics could be prepared from dried plant extracts for long storage, and in single dose packages for simplicity of use, at a price affordable to local farmers in the hope that their use becomes disciplined and widespread. This should increase not only the quality but also the quantity of produce, and ultimately the level of the farmers’ income.