Planta Med 2013; 79 - PL8
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1352316

Administration of Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) to goats and its potential to control gastro-intestinal parasites

F Heckendorn 1, FS Giebler 2, M Walkenhorst 1, O Fertig 3, M Hamburger 3, O Potterat 3, A Valle-Zarate 4
  • 1Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, Switzerland
  • 2Research Institute of Organic Agriculture University of Hohenheim, Institute of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics, Stuttgart, Germany
  • 3University of Basel, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Basel, Switzerland
  • 4University of Hohenheim, Institute of Animal Production in the Tropics and Subtropics, Stuttgart, Germany

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) substantially impact on goat health. Because of the widespread development of GIN, resistant to allopathic drugs, further research into alternative parasite control methods is required. Silver fir, Abies alba Mill (SF), is traditionally used by Swiss farmers in order to control GIN infections of goats and to improve animal welfare. A survey among goat farmers revealed that they use SF in winter during a period of approximately five months. The estimated daily dose of SF per animal and day vary between 8 g to 600 g dry matter (DM).

As there is scientific evidence neither for an anthelmintic potential of SF, nor on its influence on feed intake and milk performance of goats, we conducted a study with 30 animals. A 20 day feeding experiment was performed with 15 goats (group A), which were daily fed with SF in addition to their basic feed. The remaining 15 goats (group B) were fed with the basic ration only. Individual faecal egg counts (FEC) were conducted for all goats. Furthermore, the effects of SF on the intake of the basic feed, and on yield and composition of milk were analyzed. For 12 representative samples of SF we determined the content in total phenols (TP), and the composition of the essential oil (EO).

SF contained 0.4 – 1.2% TP (0.9% TP on average) in fresh matter. Limonene, bornyl acetate and beta caryophyllene were identified as characteristic constituents of the EO. Administration of SF did not reduce GIN FEC significantly. The daily intake of SF per animal was 261 ± 0.22 g DM. Although SF reduced the basic feed intake significantly, SF significantly increased the total DM intake (A: 1948 ± 93 g DM; B: 1797 ± 93 g DM). SF had no effect on yield and composition of milk. Although farmers are convinced of the anthelmintic potential of SF, our short term study could not point to such an effect. Possibly a prolonged period of SF administration is necessary for such effects to become apparent.