ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Anim. Sci.
Sec. Animal Nutrition
Evaluation of the nutritional composition of plants used by rural farmers in the treatment of helminths
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- 2University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
- 3University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
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Gastro-intestinal (GI) helminths negatively affect poultry health and productivity by impairing nutrient utilization, growth, and immune function, while the prolonged use of synthetic anthelmintics is associated with drug resistance and residue concerns. Phytomedicines are widely used to control GI helminths, not only due to their medicinal properties but also because their nutritional composition may enhance host resilience and resistance to parasitism. However, information on the nutritional profiles of many commonly used anthelmintic plants remains limited. This study therefore evaluated the nutritional composition of Aloe ferox, Agave sisalana, and Gunnera perpensa. Plant samples were subjected to proximate analysis, while mineral content was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Crude protein and total Kjeldahl nitrogen were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in G. perpensa (116.9 and 18.7 g/kg DM, respectively). Iron (907.33 ppm) and copper (699.33 ppm) concentrations were also highest in G. perpensa compared to A. ferox (iron 114.7 ppm; copper 11.0 ppm) and A. sisalana (iron 111.0 ppm; copper 27.0 ppm). Manganese concentration was highest in A. ferox (246.67 ppm), followed by G. perpensa (84.3 ppm) and A. sisalana (21.7 ppm). The nutritional profiles of these phytomedicines suggest that, in addition to their anthelmintic properties, they may contribute essential nutrients that enhance chicken resilience and resistance to GI parasitism.
Keywords: Agave sisalana, Aloe ferox, Gastro-intestinal parasites, Gunnera perpensa, Nutritional profile
Received: 19 Nov 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Mwale, Masika and Chidembo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ranganai Chidembo
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