Ethnoveterinary medicine for Newcastle Disease Five plants have been assessed for their activity against ND: Aloe secundiflora, Azadirachta indica, Cassia tora, Euphorbia ingens and a plant mixture containing Capsicum frutescens. Four species, Adansonia digitata, Allium sativum, Combretum micranthum and Mangifera indica, are antiviral, but have not been tested against ND. Amaranthus hybridicus, Combretum micranthum, Ficus gnaphalcapa and Tephrosia vogelii, are in the same genus as species with antiviral activity. 1. Plants used for Newcastle disease that have activity against this virus. Of the five species evaluated for their activity against ND, Aloe secundiflora, Azadirachta indica, Cassia tora and Euphorbia ingens have yielded promising results; however a study on the combination of Capsicum frutescens, Citrus limon and Opuntia vulgaris failed to demonstrate any clinical benefit in chickens infected with Newcastle disease. Aloe sp. www.finerareprints.com/.../vanhoutte/11124.jpg a) Aloe secundiflora Aloe secundiflora decreased morbidity and mortality in experimentally infected chickens. Treatment with A. secundiflora at the time of infection resulted in a 21.6% decrease in mortality whereas pre-treatment for 2 weeks prior to infection resulted in a 31.6% reduction in mortality compared to untreated infected birds. Since farmers are aware of the seasonality of Newcastle disease, pre-treatment is a feasible practice. The extract used in the experiment was prepared in much the same way as villagers would and was composed of the inner gel, containing antiviral polysaccharides such as acemannan and the outer sap, containing the anthraquinone glycosides. The anthraquinone components in Aloe spp., (aloenin and aloin), are at least partly responsible for the anti-Newcastle disease virus activity. Enveloped viruses are sensitive to anthraquinones: influenza virus, pseudorabies virus and varicella-zoster virus, herpes simplex virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 2 are all impaired by various anthraquinones. b) Cassia tora Cassia tora contains significant quantities of anthraquinones and has activity against Newcastle disease virus. Related species with anti-Newcastle disease virus activity include Cassia auriculata and Cassia fistula. Cassia fistula http://www.illustratedgarden.org/mobot/rarebooks/ Azadirachta indica www.keele.ac.uk c) Azadirachta indica Although it does possess activity against Newcastle disease virus, and foot and mouth disease virus, it is likely that Azadirachta indica’s anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating properties may better explain its usefulness against ND. Euphorbia ingens www.mytho-fleurs.com/images/Afrique_du_Sud/ja.. d) Euphorbia ingens In a small clinical trial, Euphorbia ingens branches were crushed and soaked in the chickens’ drinking water overnight. When this water was administered at the same time as the birds were infected with Newcastle disease, mortality was decreased by 38.4%. Pretreatment with Euphorbia ingens decreased mortality by 100%. Other Euphorbia species, or their chemical constituents, possess significant antiviral activity: E compositum, E. thymifolia and E. tirucalli against herpes simplex viruses, E. australis against human cytomegalovirus, E. compositum against respiratory syncytial virus and influenza and E. grantii and E. hirta against poliovirus and coxsackie virus. e) Capsicum sp. Capsicum spp. are widely used to treat a variety of diseases, often in combination with other plants. Capsaicin, one of the constituents of Capsicum, is thought to improve resistance to disease in poultry. Various combinations with Iboza multiflora, Lagenaria breviflora, Amaranthus hybridicus, Aloe secundiflora and Khaya senegalensis are used to control Newcastle disease in Africa. Although the combination with Citrus limon and Opuntia vulgaris was not effective in controlling ND in a clinical trial, further study is justified. Capsicum frutescens Opuntia vulgaris www.fieldmuseum.org/.../capsicum_lg.jpg http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/vietnam/map3.html