The impact of a mixture of medicinal herbs on ruminal fermentation, parasitological status and hematological parameters of the lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with a mixture of selected medicinal herbs (Herbmix) on hematological and parasitological parameters and on the inflammatory response of lambs infected experimentally with the gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Herbmix contained selected medicinal herbs common in central Europe (8.55% each of Althaea officinalis, Petasites hybridus, Inula helenium, Malva sylvestris, Chamomilla recutita, Plantago lanceolata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Solidago virgaurea, Fumaria officinalis, Hyssopus officinalis and Melissa officinalis, 5% Foeniculum vulgare and 1% Artemisia absinthium). Herbmix (100 g dry matter (DM)/d) was added to the basal diets of meadow hay (600 g DM/d) and a commercial concentrate (350 g DM/d) per animal. Twenty-four female lambs were divided into four groups: infected animals (Inf), infected animals supplemented with Herbmix (Inf + Herb), uninfected control animals (C) and uninfected animals supplemented with Herbmix (C + Herb). Inf and Inf + Herb lambs were infected orally with approximately 5000 L3 larvae of a strain of H. contortus susceptible to anthelmintics (MHco1). Herbmix supplementation for Inf + Herb and C + Herb began on day 0 (D0). Feces were collected and eggs per gram (EPG) of feces were quantified on D0, D20, D32, D50 and D60. Variables differed after 24 h of ruminal incubation of the individual medicinal herbs (P < 0.001), but the herbs had no negative effect on the fermentation patterns. The mean EPG counts were significantly lower by 45% between D32 and D50 (P < 0.05) and by 63% between D32 and D60 (P < 0.01) for the infected lambs receiving Herbmix (Inf + Herb). These EPG reductions were only 10 and 30% in infected group (Inf, P > 0.05). Mean cumulative gain in live weight was higher in Inf + Herb as compared to Inf by D32 (P < 0.01) and D50 (P < 0.001). The evaluation of red blood cells identified clinical signs of haemonchosis, such as anemia, in Inf and Inf + Herb. Total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.008) and activity of glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.005) in serum at D50 were lower in Inf and Inf + Herb than C and C + Herb. The concentration of serum calprotectin differed significantly (P < 0.001) in Inf vs. Inf + Herb. The Zn and Fe serum concentrations differed significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) in Inf vs. Inf + Herb, Inf vs. C and Inf vs. C + Herb by D32. The mixture of the medicinal herbs thus contributed to slowing the dynamics of infection and improving the production indicators of the animals.