Anthelmintic effects of Artemisia herba-alba and Artemisia judaica extracts on Ascaridia galli in poultry

Assessment of antiparasitic efficacy of Artemisia herba-alba and Artemisia judaica using in vitro, in silico, and animal-based models against Ascaridia galli was conducted. Ethanolic extracts from each Artemisia species were separately prepared in 0.5% DMSO. For the in vitro analysis, a total of 180 adult Ascaridia galli worms were harvested from naturally infected chicks and randomly assigned into four equal groups. Group 1 received Fenbendazole (0.5 mg/mL), Group 2 was treated with A. herba-alba extract (50 mg/mL), Group 3 with A. Judaica extract (50 mg/mL), and Group 4 served as the control, exposed to 0.5% DMSO. All treatments were applied for a duration of 13 hours. For the in vivo investigation, 540 A. galli-infected chicks were divided into six equally sized groups. Groups 1 and 2 received A. herba-alba at 1000 and 3000 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Similarly, Groups 3 and 4 were treated with A. Judaica at 1000 and 3000 mg/kg. Group 5 was administered Fenbendazole (50 mg/kg) as a positive control, while Group 6 served as the untreated control. Both A. herba-alba and A. Judaica significantly inhibited worm motility in vitro compared to the control group. Fenbendazole achieved 100% inhibition (P < 0.001), while A. herba-alba showed 30.1% inhibition (P < 0.05), and A. Judaica demonstrated 23.1% inhibition (P < 0.05). At 14 days post-treatment, Artemisia-treated groups showed a significant decrease in female fecundity, fecal egg count (FEC), and worm burden relative to the control group. Notably, there was no significant variation (P > 0.05) based on the Artemisia species or dose level used. In vitro exposure of nematodes to A. judaica and A. herba-alba extracts resulted in a significant, time-dependent reduction in worm motility compared with control treatments, whereas fenbendazole induced rapid and complete immobilization; no significant differences were observed between the two herbal extracts. Molecular docking analysis indicates that camphor demonstrated robust affinity score of -6.25 kcal/mol against ATP synthase, while camphor against glutathione transferase showed promising interactions with an affinity score of -6.90 kcal/mol. In conclusion, extracts of A. herba-alba and A. Judaica demonstrate significant potential as effective and suitable alternatives for managing A. galli infections in poultry by targeting ATP synthase and glutathione transferase in A. galli.