AVALIAÇÃO DA ACÇÃO DE LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA EM PARASITAS GASTROINTESTINAIS E PULMONARES DE CABRAS DA REPÚBLICA DEMOCRÁTICA DE SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE

Abstract

EVALUATION OF THE ACTION OF LEUCAENA LEUCEPHALA ON GASTROINTESTINAL AND PULMONARY PARASITES IN GOATS OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF SÃO TOME AND PRINCIPE The health problems, namely the presence of gastrointestinal and pulmonary parasites, are the major obstacles to animal production in the islands of São Tomé and Principe. Due to its geographical situation and its economic situation makes it difficult to get antiparasitic drugs. Thus, it was intended to find an inexpensive viable solution: the use of the Leucaena leucocephala plant, which grows wild, being part of the natural grazing of goats and sheep. For 78 days, the effects of this plant in the reduction of infection by gastrointestinal and lung parasites were evaluated. For this, three groups of goats were fed with different concentration levels of L. leucocephala administered daily (0%, 15% and 30%). From each group, every 15 days, faeces and blood were collected and laboratorial techniques were carried out to identify the forms of parasites eliminated, followed by a comparison of the results obtained in the different groups. The administration of 15% and 30% of this plant had effects on reducing the number of parasitic forms excreted, namely, gastrointestinal strongilides eggs and infective larvae and pulmonary strongilides larvae. The use of L. leucocephala has proven to be a possible alternative as a natural strategy for parasitic control in goats at STP.