Abstract
The nematode Ascaridia galli (AG) is a notable parasite afflicting chicken livestock [1]. As anthelmintic (AH) resistance occurs among established drugs, plant natural products are explored as alternative treatments.
In course of the EUREGIO project ‘HERBAL’, ten alpine grown plants were selected based on ethnopharmacological use. Among them, Cicerbita alpina was the most active and consequently submitted to an activity-guided isolation procedure. For activity testing, an in vitro AG embryo development (ED) assay was utilized, showing that at 0.5 mg/ml, polar fractions of CA had an effect with 42% and 43% ED respectively. Additionally, an IR-Based worm motility assay with Caenorhabditis elegans offered another life-cycle stage for screening. Active fractions were further separated via FCC and SEC with compounds postulated via MS/NMR. Furthermore, pharmacophore models were developed for the known AH β-tubulin target. Using bioassay-guided isolation and in silico methods, this dual approach searches for natural active principles against nematodes.
EUREGIO (Interregional Project Networks) (IPN 119) ‘HERBAL’.