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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #355006
Title: Investigation of possible pumpkin seeds and ginger effects on gastrointestinal nematode infection indicators in meat goat kids and lambs

Author
item MATTHEWS, KWAME - Delaware State University
item O'BRIEN, DAHLIA - Virginia State University
item WHITLEY, NIKI - Fort Valley State University
item Burke, Joan
item MILLER, JAMES - Louisiana State University

Submitted to: Small Ruminant Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/26/2015
Publication Date: 1/15/2016
Citation: Matthews, K.K., O'Brien, D.J., Whitley, N.C., Burke, J.M., Miller, J.E. 2016. Investigation of possible pumpkin seeds and ginger effects on gastrointestinal nematode infection indicators in meat goat kids and lambs. Small Ruminant Research. 136:1-6.

Interpretive Summary: Gastrointestinal nematodes represent a major health challenge to small ruminants, and effective alternatives to chemical dewormers are needed. Secondary compounds from pumpkin seeds and ginger may have anthelmintic properties, but scientific studies are lacking. Scientists at Delaware State University, North Carolina A&T, Louisiana State University, and USDA, ARS in Booneville, AR determined that pumpkin seeds or ginger fed or administered to goats failed to control gastrointestinal nematodes. This information is important to producers, extension agents, veterinarians, organic certifiers, and scientists.

Technical Abstract: In four experiments, 77 naturally-infected Boer crossbred kids and 28 artificially-inoculated Katahdin lambs were used to evaluate the effect of pumpkin seeds (Exp 1; 21 kids), ginger or pumpkin seed drench (Exp 2; 30 kids) and pumpkin seed oil (Exp 3 and 4: 28 lambs and 26 kids, respectively) on gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) indicators. In all experiments, kids and lambs were placed in individual pens and received pre-weighed rations of a commercially pelleted meat goat or sheep diet daily. In Exp 1, kids were supplemented with ground pumpkin seeds (PUM; n = 10) mixed into feed daily at a rate of 5 g/kg body weight (BW) or were not supplemented (CON; n = 11) for 21 days. In Exp 2, kids were orally drenched with water (CON; n = 10), 5 g pumpkin seed/kg BW (PUM; n = 10) or 3 g ginger/kg BW (GIR; n = 10) every other day for 42 days. In Exp 3, lambs were orally drenched with water (CON; n = 7), 2.0 ml/kg BW pumpkin seed oil once every 7 days (PUM1; n = 10), or 2.0 ml/kg BW pumpkin seed oil daily for 3 out of every 7 days (PUM2; n = 11) for 28 days. In Exp 4, kids were orally drenched with water (CON; n = 13), or 2.0 ml/kg BW pumpkin seed oil (PUM; n = 13) every other day for 35 days. In all experiments, BW, daily feed intake and blood and fecal samples were collected every 7 days. All animals in Exp 2 were harvested at a USDA-inspected abattoir and abomasal and small intestinal contents were collected for total worm counts. The FEC were similar for treatments in all experiments. Treatment influenced PCV (P < 0.05) only in Exp 1 and 4. In Exp 2, at harvest, there was a tendency (P = 0.08) for CON animals to have a higher number of total GIN than GIR-treated animals, but PUM-treated animals were intermediate. BW were similar for treatments in Exp 1, 2 and 3 while CON animals in Exp 4 had a greater BW than PUM-treated animals on day 7 only and were similar thereafter (treatment by day interaction, P < 0.05). In these studies, pumpkin and ginger treatments administered were not effective in reducing FEC in meat goat kids or lambs.