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Anthelmintic effects - the impact of grapefruit seed extract in the organism of goats

With the frequent application of anthelmintics, the targeted micro-organisms become more and more resistant. For some time now, the focus has been on searching for alternative active agents to treat farm animals. Furthermore in the case of parasite infestation, biological treatment is preferable, in order to preserve the animals as a resource for food production.

Term: 01.07.2019 — 30.04.2021

With the frequent application of anthelmintics, the targeted micro-organisms become more and more resistant. For some time now, the focus has been on searching for alternative active agents to treat farm animals. Furthermore in the case of parasite infestation, biological treatment is preferable, in order to preserve the animals as a resource for food production. According to the study of Al-Attar, 2015, grapefruit seed extract can protect the organism from chemical influence and the study of Abdel-Ghaffar et al., 2009 reveals that it can even act anti-parasitically. There are no known studies showing grapefruit seed extracts as having an effect on goats.
This study aims to investigate if feeding goats with grapefruit seed extract has any anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic effects and if side effects are observed.
Between the 03.06.2019 and the 02.08.2019 and as part of a feeding trial, goats from the institution of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein were divided into a control group and a trial group. While only water was given to the control group, the trial group received the grapefruit seed extract. At selected times blood was taken and analysed. After the feeding trial, the goats were slaughtered.
In our bachelor programme, Biomedical Science, the fixed tissue of the digestive organs, the liver and the kidney are now processed histologically analogous to human material. That data, combined with hematological and clinical chemical parameters, will be evaluated for signs of inflammation or parasitic effects.
With this project, the bachelor programme, Biomedical Science, aims to point out the relevancy of veterinary laboratory work as an area of application for biomedical analysts.
This project has been carried out in cooperation with the Institute for Organic Farming and Biodiversity of Farm Animals, the Austrian Research and Education Center HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, branch office Thalheim/Wels. The results will be published together with the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein.

  • further Project team: Barbara Krönigsberger, Gerlinde Embacher (external)