Background: Given its numerous biologically active components,
Euphorbiaceae
has been found to be a large plant family and polyvalent with
quite interesting therapeutic activity that can be studied.
Materials and Methods: The ixodicidal activity of
Euphorbia cyparissias
extracts was studied
in vitro and
in vivo. Tested concentrations were
10, 5, 2, 1, 0.5 and 0.25%.
Results: For the
in vitro study, conducted on field-collected female specimens of
Dermacentor marginatus
and
Haemaphysalis punctata
, the
efficacy results showed that the ticks died after exposure in the case of 10, 5, and 2% tincture concentrations. The effects appeared after 30
minutes and became more visible 120 minutes after each exposure. The statistical differences regarding the used concentrations were found to be:
F = 6.51, df = 5, P < 0.001. The
in vivo study of the efficacy of
E. cyparissias concentrations was performed on 35 naturally infested sheep and on
30 bovines parasitized with
Ixodes ricinus
, sprayed with tincture and glycerinate dilutions (bovines) on days 0 and 7. The results revealed
detrimental effects on the survivability of female ticks, the most prominent being the reduction of their movement capacity. In sheep
in vivo
efficiency observed within 24 hrs varied, between 1 and 23% for
D. marginatus and between 7 and 27% for
H. punctata and respectively between
2 and 53% after 24 hrs, for
I. ricinus, comparable effects being also found 72 hrs after the second administration of
Euphorbia extracts.
Conclusion: Extracts from
E. cyparissias may be used, with results, as an ecologic alternative tick control management method, being a cheap
solution, with a sizeable role in reducing the use of synthetic and/or other harming and resistance source ixodicidal conditionings.