Effect of Repeated Dosing of Papaya Latex Against Haemonchus contortus in Experimentally Infected Sheep

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of repeated dosing of papaya latex against Haentoutchzcs contortus in experimentally infected sheep. Twenty five javanese thin tail sheep experimentally infe~tedw ith 7500 L3 were allocated into five groups of each five animals. Four groups were dosed orally with the papaya latex powder given as trickle doses of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 4' kg BW on days 28, 30 and 32. Four animals receiving papaya latex at dose level of 0.7 and 0.8 grkgl died on days 32 and 33. Post mortem pathological examination revealed that the latex may cause hemorrhage as a result of erosion in the gastrointestinal mucous possibly due to protmlpic activity of enzymes in the latex. Results of postmortem worm count on day 35 revealed that papaya latex given as trickle doses of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 g-' kg BW reduced H. cotfforfztsb urden in the experimentally infected animals by 53.6, 80.1, 96.8 and 61.9%, respectively. Considering the high toxicity of the latex on sheep the use of latex for control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep is not recommended.