COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF MALLOTUS-PHILIPPINENSIS FRUIT (KAMALA) OR NILZAN(R) DRUG AGAINST GASTROINTESTINAL CESTODES IN BEETAL GOATS

Comparative anticestodal efficacies of single dose oral treatments with the powdered fruit of Mallotus philippinensis called Kamala (125, 250 and 375 mg/kg BW), its water or methanol extracts (equivalent to 375 mg/kg) and the total glycosides (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) were determined in naturally cestode-infected Beetal goats (n = 72). Faecal eggs per gram (EPG) counts and their percentage reductions on days 3, 10 and 15 after drug administration were determined. In addition, the incidence of side effects of treatments were recorded. The EPG reduction in goats treated with 375 mg/kg of Kamala powder were 51 +/- 3.3, 71 +/- 3.0 and 90 +/- 4.3% on days 3, 10 and 15, respectively. Reductions with the aqueous extract equivalent to 375 mg/kg of Kamala were 40 +/- 3.7, 61 +/- 4.1 and 80 +/- 4.3% on these days, while with the methanol extract equivalent to 375 mg/kg they were 39 +/- 3.2, 69 +/- 4.1 and 89 +/- 3.7%, respectively. The 100 mg/kg of glycosides of Kamala caused 39 +/- 3.9, 69 +/- 4.3 and 91 +/- 5.3% EPG reductions. The control drug, Nilzan(R) (5 ml/15 kg) produced 51 +/- 4, 77 +/- 6 and 96 +/- 5% EPG reductions on the days checked. The Kamala powder, its extracts and even the glycosides and Nilzan(R) produced transitory diarrhoea and restlessness which vanished in a few hours. It is conceivable from the data that a single oral treatment with 375 mg/kg of Kamala, its aqueous or methanolic extracts in doses equivalent to the powder and 100 mg/kg of the total glycosides are equipotent to Nilzan(R) (5 ml/15 kg) on day 15 against mixed naturally acquired gastro-intestinal cestodes in Beetal goats.