Kabaale, Elisha2026-09-212026-09-212026Kabaale, E. (2026). Evaluation of the effect of selected medicinal plants on ascaris suum in Nakaseke district. [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema university.https://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/9585Undergraduate research reportNematode infections are a major obstacle to livestock production in Uganda, especially in the Nakaseke District, where they result in considerable economic losses, lower animal productivity and higher production costs. Because of the growing resistance to synthetic anthelmintics and the concern about environmental contamination there is a need to look into sustainable alternatives. In order to this the study assessed the nematocidal properties of some medicinal plants which are traditionally used in the Nakaseke District by employing a mixed-methods approach that included cross-sectional surveys and experimental work with 30 purposively selected respondents (livestock farmers and traditional animal health practitioners). The survey identified 14 species of medicinal plants, leaves being the most frequently used part of the plant (37%), soaking method the most common method of preparation (88.9%), and pigs (73.3%) and goats (56.7%) as the most commonly kept types of livestock, while worm problems were most severe during the rainy season (63.3%). Based on survey results, three medicinal plants (Albizia coriaria bark, Euphorbia tirucalli fresh sap, and Aframomum melegueta seeds) were selected and extracted using cold maceration method with 100% ethanol, after which adult Ascaris suum worms (n=165) collected from freshly slaughtered pigs were exposed to plant extracts at concentrations of 6.5%, 8.5%, and 10.5% in a completely randomized design with 3 replicates, using Albendazole (7.5%) and normal saline (0.9%) as positive and negative controls respectively. Laboratory results showed concentration-dependent nematocidal activity for all three plant extracts, with Euphorbia tirucalli at 10.5% demonstrating the highest efficacy (93.33% mortality, 3.42 hours mean time to mortality) comparable to albendazole (100% mortality), followed by Albizia coriaria at 10.5% (86.67% mortality) and Aframomum melegueta at 10.5% (53.33% mortality), with significant differences in mortality (F₁₀,₂₂ = 21.42, p<0.001) and time to mortality (F₉,₂₀ = 30.07, p<0.001) observed among treatments. The study validated indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used for nematode management in Nakaseke District and demonstrated that Euphorbia tirucalli and Albizia coriaria possess potent nematocidal activity against Ascaris suum, approaching the efficacy of albendazole under In-vitro conditions, thereby supporting the potential of plant-based alternatives for sustainable nematode control in livestock systems.enOther