Documentation of ethnoveterinary knowledge and alternative practices for cattle tick control in Sekhukhune District, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Introduction: The integration of traditional plant-based methods for controlling ectoparasites in the primary healthcare of livestock is progressively emerging as a crucial intervention to enhance livestock productivity in regions with limited resources, particularly in smallholder farming areas facing resource constraints. In Sekhukhune District, where livestock plays a vital role in rural livelihoods, cattle ticks present a significant challenge to cattle farming. This study aimed to document the ethnoveterinary practices employed by local communities to control cattle ticks, highlighting the use of alternative methods rooted in indigenous knowledge (IK).

Repellent properties of Rotheca glabrum plant extracts against adults of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus.

Background: Rotheca glabrum (formerly known as Clerodendrum glabrum [Verbenaceae]) is used by local communities in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to control ticks on livestock and was selected from the database of the ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. Its leaves were extracted using organic solvents ranging from polar to non-polar solvents (methanol, acetone and dichloromethane (DCM)). In addition, the traditional soap-water (infusion) and water-based (decoction) methods were used.

Repellent activities of dichloromethane extract of (garlic) (Liliaceae) against (Acari).

Dichloromethane (DCM) extract of garlic (Allium sativum Linn.) bulbs was assessed for its repellent effect against the hard tick, Hyalomma rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae) using two tick behavioural bioassays; Type A and Type B repellency bioassays, under laboratory conditions. These bioassays exploit the questing behaviour of H.

D-Galactose High-Dose Administration Failed to Induce Accelerated Aging Changes in Neurogenesis, Anxiety, and Spatial Memory on Young Male Wistar Rats.

The model of accelerated senescence with the prolonged administration of d-galactose is used in anti-aging studies because it mimics several aging-associated alterations such as increase of oxidative stress and decline of cognition. However, there is no standardized protocol for this aging model, and recently some reports have questioned its effectiveness. To clarify this issue, we used a model of high-dose d-galactose on 1-month-old male Wistar rats and studied the hippocampus, one of the most affected brain regions.

Old-onset caloric restriction effects on neuropeptide Y- and somatostatin-containing neurons and on cholinergic varicosities in the rat hippocampal formation.

Caloric restriction is able to delay age-related neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive impairment. In this study, we analyzed the effects of old-onset caloric restriction that started at 18 months of age, in the number of neuropeptide Y (NPY)- and somatostatin (SS)-containing neurons of the hippocampal formation. Knowing that these neuropeptidergic systems seem to be dependent of the cholinergic system, we also analyzed the number of cholinergic varicosities.

In vitro anti-tick properties of the essential oil of Tagetes minuta L. (Asteraceae) on Hyalomma rufipes (Acari: Ixodidae).

In this study we examined the anti-tick properties of the essential oil of Tagetes minuta L. (Asteraceae: Asterales) against Hyalomma rufipes ticks. We obtained the essential oil of T.

Antibacterial activity of extracts of three Croton species collected in Mpumalanga region in South Africa.

The antibacterial activities of three Croton species were compared using bioautography and the serial microdilution methods. The methanolic extracts of all the species had low activity against Escherichia coli. The highest activity was observed with Croton megalobotrys against Enterococcus faecalis with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.

Repellent effects of the essential oil of Lavendula angustifolia against adults of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes.

The repellent effects of the essential oil of Lavendula angustifolia on adults of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes was studied at concentrations of 5, 10 and 20% v/v. A suitable tick climbing bioassay based on the questing behaviour of ticks was used to test for repellency. High percentage repellency (range 70-100) was shown at all concentrations of the essential oil of L.

In vitro investigation of the toxic effects of extracts of Allium sativum bulbs on adults of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes and Rhipicephalus pulchellus.

The toxic effects of the extracts of Allium sativum (Garlic) were evaluated against adults of Hyalomma marginatum rufipes and Rhipicephalus pulchellus using three types (Types A, B and C) of contact toxicity bioassays. A. sativum bulbs were extracted with acetone, ethanol and dichloromethane (DCM) solvents.

Feeding patterns of immature stages of Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes on different hosts.

In this study we examine the feeding patterns of immature stages of Hyalomma truncatum and Hyalomma marginatum rufipes ticks on different hosts. Larvae of H. truncatum developed through a three-host pattern on two species of field mice, Rhabdomys pumilio and Lemniscomys rosalia.

The effects of tick numbers and intervals between infestations on the resistance acquired by guinea-pigs to adults of Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi (Acari: Ixodidae).

Guinea-pigs were infested three times at short (1 week) intervals or long (10 week) intervals between successive infestations with low (1), medium (8) and high (15) numbers of adult Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi. To compare the resistance developed by the hosts at short and long intervals between infestations, a challenge (fourth) infestation was performed with the high number of ticks. Resistance was assessed by comparing the mean weight of engorged female ticks that dropped from the hosts.

Distal splenorenal shunt for non-cirrhotic variceal bleeding in black South Africans.

Distal splenorenal shunt (DSRS) is a once-only form of treatment. It is suitable for many black South Africans with non-cirrhotic variceal bleeding who cannot attend repeated follow-up sclerotherapy sessions. However, persistent hyperbilirubinaemia and encephalopathy may occur following DSRS in schistosomiasis.

Laboratory studies on the life cycle of Amblyomma marmoreum (Acari: Ixodidae) on two different hosts.

A comparative study was made of the life cycle of the tortoise tick, Amblyomma marmoreum Koch, on tortoises and guinea pigs under laboratory conditions. At 25 degrees C and 85% RH with natural day length, duration of off-host stages (preoviposition, oviposition, incubation, and premolt) was similar for ticks fed on both hosts. Delay in preoviposition (up to 90 d) was observed in some gravid females.