Ethanolic Extract of the Leaf of Moringa oleifera Lam. as a Potential Anthelmintic Agent Against Gastrointestinal Nematodes in Goats

Gastrointestinal worm infections are a major problem in goat farming, reducing animal health and productivity. Conventional antiparasitic drugs like albendazole are effective but increasingly face resistance issues, prompting researchers to explore plant-based alternatives. In this study, scientists tested whether an ethanol-based extract of Moringa oleifera leaves could reduce worm burdens in naturally infected goats — and the higher dose produced a fecal egg count reduction of over 91% by day 28, approaching the performance of the standard drug. Researchers divided 40 male goats into four groups: two receiving moringa leaf extract at different doses (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg body weight), one receiving albendazole as a positive control, and one receiving plain water as a negative control. Worm burden was tracked by counting parasite eggs in fecal samples — a standard indirect measure of infection intensity — at five time points over 28 days. The moringa extract was prepared using cold percolation in pure ethanol, and preliminary chemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins and flavonoids, two classes of plant compounds known to have antiparasitic properties in other contexts. Both moringa doses reduced egg counts progressively from day 7 onward, with the effect growing stronger over time and with higher doses. The 200 mg/kg dose achieved 91.83% egg count reduction by day 28, compared to 77.03% for the 100 mg/kg dose. These findings matter because they suggest moringa leaf extract could serve as a low-cost, accessible supplement to conventional deworming strategies in smallholder goat farming, particularly in regions where albendazole resistance is emerging or drug access is limited.