Anthelmintic Activity of Capsicum Annuum var. Longum (Siling-Haba) Placental Extracts Against Gastrointestinal Parasites in Broiler Chicken Stool

Soil-transmitted helminth infection is considered one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) worldwide. The Philippines is one of the countries in Asia with the highest prevalence of parasite infection. Adding to this problem is the resistance of pathogenic nematodes to commercial drugs in livestock hosts. Capsicum species exhibit antiparasitic activity against a wide range of endoparasites as fed to chicken. This study assessed the anthelmintic activity of the Capsicum annuum var. longum against gastrointestinal parasites found in broiler chicken stool and to identify the secondary metabolites from the placental region of the chili’s fruit. Phytochemical screening test indicated the presence of alkaloid, flavonoid, and tannins. The ethanolic extracts of 1%, 10%, 50%, and 100% concentrations were administered to a total of 15 broiler chicken. The anthelmintic efficacy of the plant extract was evaluated through Fecal Egg Count Method. All treatments displayed very high effectiveness on reducing egg parasites count which were comparable to the positive control. The result indicated that the Capsicum annuum var. longum (Siling-Haba) extracts were very effective against gastrointestinal parasites of the broiler chicken. This potency may be attributed to the high level of capsaicinoids content in the fruit. The findings may lead to a new organic anthelmintic drug alternative which is also environmentally sustainable.