Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?

Exploring new natural-origin antiparasitic alternatives is essential in addressing the resistance issues that have emerged due to the widespread use of chemical or synthetic antiparasitic compounds. This area remains relatively underexplored despite the increasing recognition of plants like <i>...

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Main Authors: Desiderio Rodriguez Velazquez, Lucrezia Forte, Jorge Antonio Varela Guerrero, Tonantzin Díaz Alvarado, Mona M. M. Y. Elghandour, Aristide Maggiolino, Pasquale De Palo, Abdelfattah Z. M. Salem
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/9/1245
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author Desiderio Rodriguez Velazquez
Lucrezia Forte
Jorge Antonio Varela Guerrero
Tonantzin Díaz Alvarado
Mona M. M. Y. Elghandour
Aristide Maggiolino
Pasquale De Palo
Abdelfattah Z. M. Salem
author_facet Desiderio Rodriguez Velazquez
Lucrezia Forte
Jorge Antonio Varela Guerrero
Tonantzin Díaz Alvarado
Mona M. M. Y. Elghandour
Aristide Maggiolino
Pasquale De Palo
Abdelfattah Z. M. Salem
author_sort Desiderio Rodriguez Velazquez
collection DOAJ
description Exploring new natural-origin antiparasitic alternatives is essential in addressing the resistance issues that have emerged due to the widespread use of chemical or synthetic antiparasitic compounds. This area remains relatively underexplored despite the increasing recognition of plants like <i>Prosopis juliflora</i> (mesquite) for their antiparasitic properties and nutritional value as a high-protein animal feed. This review aims to investigate the antiparasitic potential of <i>P. juliflora</i> against gastrointestinal parasites in horses. The review incorporates sources from 2005 to 2024. It was found that various phytochemical compounds from <i>P. juliflora</i>, particularly alkaloids, have demonstrated significant antiparasitic activity. Alkaloids are the most studied group due to their antibacterial, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic properties. According to the literature, the phytochemicals produced by <i>P. juliflora</i> hold promise as a potential solution for combating gastrointestinal parasites in horses. However, while preliminary findings suggest promising results, in vivo studies are necessary to evaluate the precise antiparasitic efficacy of these compounds and to determine the appropriate IC50 doses of <i>P. juliflora</i> alkaloids in horses, as well as to assess potential toxicity and side effects associated with their use.
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spelling doaj-art-abccbec6157d4b05917c88ccd8621fab2025-08-20T02:59:13ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-04-01159124510.3390/ani15091245Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?Desiderio Rodriguez Velazquez0Lucrezia Forte1Jorge Antonio Varela Guerrero2Tonantzin Díaz Alvarado3Mona M. M. Y. Elghandour4Aristide Maggiolino5Pasquale De Palo6Abdelfattah Z. M. Salem7Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca C.P. 50000, Estado de México, MexicoDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, ItalyFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca C.P. 50000, Estado de México, MexicoFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca C.P. 50000, Estado de México, MexicoFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca C.P. 50000, Estado de México, MexicoDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Valenzano, ItalyFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca C.P. 50000, Estado de México, MexicoExploring new natural-origin antiparasitic alternatives is essential in addressing the resistance issues that have emerged due to the widespread use of chemical or synthetic antiparasitic compounds. This area remains relatively underexplored despite the increasing recognition of plants like <i>Prosopis juliflora</i> (mesquite) for their antiparasitic properties and nutritional value as a high-protein animal feed. This review aims to investigate the antiparasitic potential of <i>P. juliflora</i> against gastrointestinal parasites in horses. The review incorporates sources from 2005 to 2024. It was found that various phytochemical compounds from <i>P. juliflora</i>, particularly alkaloids, have demonstrated significant antiparasitic activity. Alkaloids are the most studied group due to their antibacterial, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic properties. According to the literature, the phytochemicals produced by <i>P. juliflora</i> hold promise as a potential solution for combating gastrointestinal parasites in horses. However, while preliminary findings suggest promising results, in vivo studies are necessary to evaluate the precise antiparasitic efficacy of these compounds and to determine the appropriate IC50 doses of <i>P. juliflora</i> alkaloids in horses, as well as to assess potential toxicity and side effects associated with their use.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/9/1245equines<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>alkaloidsanti-parasiticsphytochemicals
spellingShingle Desiderio Rodriguez Velazquez
Lucrezia Forte
Jorge Antonio Varela Guerrero
Tonantzin Díaz Alvarado
Mona M. M. Y. Elghandour
Aristide Maggiolino
Pasquale De Palo
Abdelfattah Z. M. Salem
Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?
Animals
equines
<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>
alkaloids
anti-parasitics
phytochemicals
title Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?
title_full Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?
title_fullStr Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?
title_full_unstemmed Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?
title_short Could Mesquite (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) Help Control Gastrointestinal Parasites in Horses?
title_sort could mesquite i prosopis juliflora i help control gastrointestinal parasites in horses
topic equines
<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>
alkaloids
anti-parasitics
phytochemicals
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/9/1245
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