Treatment Effects of Chitosan Nanoencapsulated Bromelain against Gastrointestinal Nematodes and Coccidia in Goats of Kenya

The management of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and coccidiosis of livestock relies on the use of commercial anthelmintic; however, the excessive and frequent usage of these drugs has led to the substantial and dramatic development of anthelmintic and anticoccidial resistance. The present study aimed to evaluate the anthelmintic and anticoccidial efficacy of chitosan nanoencapsulated bromelain (CNB) against a wide spectrum of GIN and coccidia in goats. Additionally, the study assessed the safety of CNB in the goats. Bromelain was extracted from the pineapple peels and then encapsulated using chitosan. A total of 20 healthy male goats naturally infected with GIN and coccidia were used. The goats were separated into four treatment groups, with five goats per each. The CNB was orally administered at dosages of 270 and 90 mg/Kg, once daily for 60 days. Fecal egg counts (FEC), fecal oocyst counts (FOC), packed cell volume (PCV), aspartate aminotransferases (AST), alanine aminotransferases (ALT), urea, and creatinine were determined weekly. The goats were monitored for clinical signs daily, and their body weight was recorded weekly. The findings revealed that FEC reduction rates in the group that received 270 mg/Kg CNB and the group that received Albendazole were 73.41% and 79.54% at day 7 post-treatment. Also, the reduction of FOC in the group receiving 270 mg/Kg CNB at day 7 (84.12%) did not show a significant difference with Diclazuril (82.12%). The FEC and FOC were zero (reduction of FEC and FOC was 100%) at 28 days of treatment in goats treated with 270 mg/Kg CNB. During the monitoring period, no mortalities and no clinical signs were observed in the treated goats. The PCV, AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea levels for the goats in all groups were within normal limits. No pathological lesions were observed in the goat’s organs. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that repeated (60 days) dosages of 270 mg/Kg had anthelmintic and anticoccidial effects and were safe for goats. The study recommends further investigation in a field setting involving more animals. This would allow the development of a novel product for managing helminthiasis and coccidiosis in ruminants.