Plant-Based Anthelmintic Strategies for Goats Evaluating Areca catechu Extract Against Haemonchus contortus in a Tropical Setting

Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematode infections, particularly Haemonchus contortus, pose a significant challenge to goat production in the Philippines, leading to reduced productivity and economic losses among smallholder farmers. This study evaluated the in vitro anthelmintic efficacy of Areca catechu (betel nut) extract against H. contortus. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed with four treatments: distilled water (control) and three concentrations of betel nut extract (3 ml, 4 ml, and 5 ml), each replicated three times. A total of 240 adult worms were collected from the abomasum of a naturally infected goat and exposed to the treatments. Mortality was assessed at 15-minute intervals, and the median lethal dose (LD₅₀) was determined using probit analysis. Results showed that all extract concentrations achieved 100% mortality within 15 minutes, while no mortality was observed in the control group. The estimated LD₅₀ was 1.54 ml, indicating high efficacy even at low concentrations. The findings demonstrate the strong anthelmintic potential of A. catechu, attributed to its bioactive compounds such as arecoline. This study highlights the potential of betel nut as a cost-effective and locally available alternative to synthetic dewormers; however, further in vivo studies and safety evaluations are recommended to support field application.