Assessing the comparative efficacy of selected medicinal plants against tick larvae in Namalu sub-county, Nakapiripirit district

Abstract

Plants are a major source of medicinal agents and an increasing number of modern drugs have been isolated from plant based sources for their use in traditional medicine. About 80% of the world’s inhabitants rely on traditional medicines for their primary health care. This research aimed to assess the efficacy of selected medicinal plant extracts against hard ticks. The study used a cross-sectional design and research approach involved both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It was conducted between August to September 2024 in the Namalu Sub county Nakapiripirit district. A questionnaire administered by an interviewee was used to profile medicinal plants from 25 purposely selected farmers commonly used to control ticks and experimental work involved evaluating the efficacy of extracts of Neem tree, Aloe vera, and Basil on ticks to determine mean mortality rate at different time interval. The study results indicated that the most frequently used plant on ticks was Neem plant (64%), aloe vera plant (48%), Basil (48%), Eucalptus (20%), garlic (12%) and lemon grass (12%), other plants not commonly used were turmeric (4%), papaya leaves (4%) and capsicum annum (4%). Also, all the three plant extracts exhibited good efficacy against the ticks as indicated by their mean ± standard deviation. The mean and SD number of tick mortality increased with increase in time interval. It was lower at 24 hours and highest at 72hours. Neem extract exhibited the highest mean tick mortality with the lowest (6.33±1.53) for 5% at 24 hours and the highest being (23.00±2.00) for 20% at 72 hours. Basil extract had the least mean tick mortality with the lowest at (5.68±1.15) for 5% at 48hour and the highest at (18.67±1.52) for 20% at 72hours. Aloe vera extract had moderate mean tick mortality with the lowest at (3.33±1.53) for 5% for 24hours and the highest at (20.00±3.00) for 20% at 72hours. The study recommended promotion of cultivation of these plants, in addition to its commonly cultivated purposes. Farmers and agricultural practitioners were encouraged to explore the cultivation of Neem tree, Basil and Aloe vera varieties with high phytochemical content. Furthermore, industries involved in herbal medicine, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods can explore the utilization of these plants as a valuable raw material for product development.