PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND IN-VITRO ACARICIDAL ACTIVITY OF THREE HERBAL EXTRACTS AGAINST CATTLE TICK BOOPHILUS DECOLORATUS

This study was designed to determine the acaricidal effect of Datura stramonium, Nicotiana glauca and Azadirachta indica herbal extracts against the common cattle tick Boophilus decolratous. Qualitative phytochemical analysis using standard techniques was also used to detect secondary metabolites contained in the selected herbs. The percent adult mortality and percentage inhibition of oviposition were studied at different experimental concentrations of 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/ml to determine the efficacy of leaf extracts. 3% of dimethyl sulfoxide was also used as a negative control. The study determined the presence of secondary metabolites in the herbal leaf extracts, which can cause neurotoxicity in a tick. Inhibition of oviposition at the highest concentration of Datura stramonium, Nicotiana glauca and Azadirachta indica of the treated ticks were 78.68, 86.84 and 52.63%, respectively. At the highest concentration, the adult tick mortality was 90, 100 and 80% for Datura stramonium, Nicotiana glauca and Azadirachta indica, respectively. The results of the current study pointed out the potential acaricidal effect of selected medicinal plants with varying potency. Therefore, further study should be done in-vitro and in-vivo assays to use studied plants as acaricides.