Oxidative Stress on Haemonchus contortus Larvae Exposed to Alternative Treatment with Artemisia cina n-Hexane Extract and Cinaguaiacin Metabolites

Anthelmintic resistance is currently negatively impacting animal production parameters, leading to an increase in the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes and resulting in low profitability in small ruminants. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative control strategies to reduce the prevalence and damage caused by these parasites in extensive systems. One of these strategies involves plant extracts and their secondary metabolites, which have shown antiparasitic properties. The main aim of the present study was the evaluation of <i>Artemisia cina (A. cina)</i> foliage to perform an <i>n</i>-hexane extract and cinaguaiacin as secondary metabolite (mixture of 63% of 3'-demethoxy-6-O-demethylisoguaiacin and 37% norisoguaiacin), previously identified by chromatography technique and relative expression of three antioxidant enzyme genes of infective <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> larvae (L₃). The results showed upregulation of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), and decreased expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes after exposure to <i>H. contortus</i> L₃ to <i>n</i>-hexane extract of <i>A. cina</i>. Furthermore, cinaguacin displayed up- and downregulation of GPx and superoxide dismutase genes, respectively. These data suggest the active function of reactive oxidative species (ROS) genes of <i>H. contortus</i> L₃ exposed by the extract of <i>A. cina</i> and cinaguaiacin to induce the larve death. In this sense, both alternatives could be promising to mitigate resistance to anthelmintic drugs.