Trends in Parasitology, Volume 22, Issue 6, 1 June 2006, Pages
253-261 Hervé Hoste, Frank Jackson, Spiridoula Athanasiadou,
Stig. M. Thamsborg and Simone O. Hoskin Apart from the obvious
role of plants in herbivore nutrition, they are also a rich
source of bioactive products that can operate either to the
benefit or the detriment of grazing animals. Here, we review the
available evidence for the potential beneficial effects that
plant-derived bioactive substances can have on gastrointestinal
parasites. Tannin-rich plants have attracted most attention for
their effect on internal nematodes in ruminants. These plants
could act through direct antiparasitic activity but might also
act indirectly by increasing host resistance. The effects vary
with the species of plant, parasite and host. More research is
required to understand better the mechanisms of action, and
therefore make more pertinent use of these bioactive plants in
livestock systems. Abstract | Full Text | PDF (217 kb) Trends in
Ecology & Evolution, Vol