Phytochemical analysis and anthelmintic activity of Combretum mucronatum leaf extract against infective larvae of soil-transmitted helminths including ruminant gastrointestinal nematodes

Background Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infect more than a quarter of the world’s human population. In the absence of vaccines for most animal and human gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), treatment of infections primarily relies on anthelmintic drugs, while resistance is a growing threat. Therefore, there is a need to find alternatives to current anthelmintic drugs, especially those with novel modes of action. The present work aimed to study the composition and anthelmintic activity of Combretum mucronatum leaf extract (CMLE) by phytochemical analysis and larval migration inhibition assays, respectively. Methods Combretum mucronatum leaves were defatted with petroleum ether and the residue was extracted by ethanol/water (1/1) followed by freeze-drying. The proanthocyanidins and flavonoids were characterized by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). To evaluate the inhibitory activity of this extract, larval migration assays with STH and GIN were performed. For this purpose, infective larvae of the helminths were, if necessary, exsheathed ( Ancylostoma caninum , GIN) and incubated with different concentrations of CMLE. Results CMLE was found to be rich in flavonoids and proanthocyanidins; catechin and epicatechin were therefore quantified for standardization of the extract. Data indicate that CMLE had a significant effect on larval migration. The effect was dose-dependent and higher concentrations (1000 µg/mL) exerted significantly higher larvicidal effect ( P < 0.001) compared with the negative control (1% dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) and lower concentrations (≤ 100 µg/ml). Infective larvae of Ascaris suum [half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) = 5.5 µg/mL], Trichuris suis (IC 50 = 7.4 µg/mL), and A. caninum (IC 50 = 18.9 µg/mL) were more sensitive to CMLE than that of Toxocara canis (IC 50 = 310.0 µg/mL), while infective larvae of Toxocara cati were largely unaffected (IC 50 > 1000 µg/mL). Likewise, CMLE was active against most infective larvae of soil-transmitted ruminant GIN, except for Cooperia punctata . Trichostrongylus colubriformis was most sensitive to CMLE (IC 50 = 2.1 µg/mL) followed by Cooperia oncophora (IC 50 = 27.6 µg/mL), Ostertagia ostertagi (IC 50 = 48.5 µg/mL), Trichostrongylus axei (IC 50 = 54.7 µg/mL), Haemonchus contortus (IC 50 = 145.6 µg/mL), and Cooperia curticei (IC 50 = 156.6 µg/mL). Conclusions These results indicate that CMLE exhibits promising anthelmintic properties against infective larvae of a large variety of soil-transmitted nematodes. Graphical Abstract