Haemonchus contortus is a blood-sucking abomasal helminth of small ruminants responsible for major economic losses to producers worldwide. Widespread resistance to commercial anthelmintics has created a need for alternative methods of parasite control. One method involves using plant products with natural anthelmintic properties. This thesis assessed the efficacy of several plant products against experimental Haemonchus contortus infection in gerbils and sheep. In gerbil assays, animals were orally infected with 600 third-stage Haemonchus larvae and treated once or daily for 5 days with artemisinin, Artemisia annua aqueous or ethanolic extract, an orange oil emulsion, or Asimina triloba ethanolic extract. Nine days post-infection, gerbils were euthanized, their stomachs removed, and the worms counted. Significant anthelmintic activity was not found for artemisinin, A. annua extracts, or A. triloba extract. The orange oil product caused significant parasite reductions up to 87.8% when administered for 5 days. The orange oil emulsion was tested in sheep to evaluate the product against Haemonchus in its natural host. Sheep were orally inoculated with 10,000 Haemonchus larvae and, one month later, dosed with the emulsion once or daily for 3 days. Fecal egg counts were monitored daily starting on the first day of dosing and continuing to 14 days post-dosing. Results showed that a single dose of the product caused highly significant fecal egg count reduction (97.4%) compared to control sheep and that there is no advantage to treating for 3 days. Thus, the orange oil emulsion shows promise as an alternative to commercial dewormers. / Master of Science

This thesis Medicinal plants: analysis of biology textbooks and the project proposal for lower secondary school is focused on project-based learning at lower secondary school on the subject of medicinal plants and on the analysis of biology textbooks in the context of the topic. The first part is devoted to the theoretical bases on the method of project-based learning and theory about medicinal plants. The theoretical part of the project-based learning involves the historical development of project-based learning and the current concept of project-based learning. The theoretical part devoted to medicinal plants presents a view of this issue, focusing on the basic active substances of plants and their harvesting, drying and storage. The following is part of the research, which includes quite an extensive analysis of biology textbooks on the subject of medicinal plants. This section presents a considerable part of the thesis and thus represents a valuable material for teachers who want to deal with medicinal plants in their classes. Another key part of this work is design and implementation of project-based learning on the subject of medicinal plants at the lower secondary school. This chapter is focused on the process of creation of the project "Plant treasures of our garden", which is designed by...

Os caracóis terrestres pertencem às famílias Achatinidae (África) e Helicidae (Europa). A espécie mais conhecida é a Achatina fulica (Gigante africano), sendo a mais recomendada para as regiões tropicais e subtropicais devido a sua capacidade de adaptação a estes climas. O muco de caracóis terrestres Achatina sp tem sido pesquisado devido sua atividade cicatrizante, além da atividade antibacteriana. A suplementação (plantas com finalidades cicatrizantes definidas como: confrei, papaína e centelha asiática nas rações destes animais) teve o propósito de caracterizar a composição glicoproteica do muco, considerando o bem-estar do animal, haja vista que os mesmos não foram sacrificados. Fez-se uso de uma metodologia envolvendo a coleta através de estímulo manual da glândula podal, responsável pela secreção do muco. Metodologia esta divergente de alguns autores que fizeram uso de estímulo elétrico com corrente elétrica nos animais para a coleta do muco, método este que vai contra os propósitos de bem-estar animal. Este estudo, além de utilizar uma metodologia menos drástica e prejudicial aos animais, permitiu que os mesmos retornassem ao seu ambiente de criação. As análises realizadas por testes colorimétricos e espectroscópicos, constataram que as alterações apresentadas nos testes foram muito semelhantes; no entanto, mostraram uma variação significativa na composição glicoproteica dos mucos analisados. / The terrestrial snails belong to the families Achatinidae (Africa) and Helicidae (Europe). The most known species is the Achatina fulica (Giant African), being the most recommended for the tropical and subtropical regions due its capacity of adaptation to these climates. Mucus of terrestrial snails Achatina sp has been searched had its wound healing activity, beyond the antibacterial activity. The suplementation (plants with defined wound healing purposes as comfrey, papain and centella asiatic in the rations of these animals) had the intention to characterize the glycoprotein composition of mucus, considering well-being of the animal, since the same ones had not been sacrificed. Using a methodology holding the collection through manual stimulation of the podal, responsible gland for the secretion of mucus. This methodology is divergent of some authors who had used electric stimulation with electric current on the animals for the collection of mucus, method contrary to the intentions of animal well-being. This study, beyond using a less drastic and harmful methodology to the animals, allowing that the same ones returned to its own creation environment. The analyses carried through for color and spectroscopy tests, evidenced that the alterations presented in the tests had been very similar; however, showed a significant variation in the glycoproteic composition of the analysed mucus.

El genere "Artemisia" L., pertanyent a la família "Asteraceae" Dumortier o "Compositae" Giseke, subfamilia "Asteroideae", tribu "Anthemideae" Cass., subtribu "Chrysanthemineae" Less., és constituït per un nombre d'espècies proper a 300, variable segons els autors, àmpliament repartides per l'hemisferi nord, sobretot a Europa, Àsia, Africà del Nord i Amèrica del Nord i Central, bé que algunes són presents a l'hemisferi sud, per exemple a Xile i en alguns punts del sud del continent africà.Els principals tractadistes acorden al gènere origen eurasiàtic a causa de la major riquesa i diversificació d'espècies existent en aquesta zona. Concretament, el centre primari de diferenciació podria ser l'Àsia central soviètica. KRASHENINNIKOV (1946) estableix 6 centres eurasiàtics d'especiació per al gènere: xino-nipó, angaria, beringià, asiàtic central, asiàtic mitjà i europeo-mediterrani.Es lògic de suposar que les espècies del gènere atenyeren el continent americà des d'Àsia a través de l'estret de Bering; "A. frígida" Willd. i "A. dracunculus" L. es troben naturalment en les dues àrees i foren, doncs, probablement, l'origen de l'expansió americana del grup (MCARTHUR, 1979). Tot amb tot, BEETLE (1979) postula per al gènere origen nord-americà. En el conjunt de la conca mediterrània, el nombre d'espècies d' "Artemisia" decreix de nord a sud i d'oest a est (OUYAHYA, 1980).A la Península Ibèrica, situada a l'extrem oest d'aquesta conca, troben llur límit meridional o occidental alguns taxons (els grups d' "A. chamaemelifolia" i "A. caerulescens",posem per cas) i llur límit nord d'altres (els d'afinitat ibero-nor.d'africana, com el grup d'A. "herba-alba"). I s'hi mantenen interessants endemismes com "A. barrelieri", "A. hispànica" i "A. granatensis".Diverses espècies del gènere tenen aplicació com a estabilitzadores de sòls (MCARTHUR, 1979) i com a fre a processos de desertització (LE HOUËROU, 1979). D'altra banda, tenen gran significació en agroecosistemes des del punt de vista pastoral, sobretot a Amèrica del Nord. (MCARTHUR., 1979) i a l'Africà del Nord (OUYAHYA, 1980). Són d'interès en la fabricació de diversos licors (vermut, absenta) i com a espècies condimentarles (estragó).En el camp medicinal, en podem destacar dos aspectes: per una part, algunes espècies són productores d'al.lèrgies i d'altres generen diverses intoxicacions; i d'altra banda, moltes d'elles tenen compostos amb poderoses accions farmacològiques. Entre aquestes darreres, esmentem la clàssica droga vermífuga coneguda com a santònic, "semen contra" o "semen contra vermes", constituïda pels capítols d' "A. cina" Berg., "A. santonicum" L. i altres espècies orientals relacionades, els principis actius de la qual són lactones sesquiterpèniques. En terres ibèriques, "A. herba-alba" és emprada popularment amb les mateixes finalitats antihelmíntiques.Des del punt de vista d'aplicació i pensant en el nostre àmbit geogràfic, els tres aspectes esmentats tenen interès, tal com es desprèn dels usos populars de les plantes: Diverses espècies, sobretot "A. vulgaris" i "A. absinthium," són utilitzades en l'elaboració de begudes espirituoses. D'altres, bàsicament "A. herba-alba", dominen vastes extensions de territori i són consumides per bestiar divers; podrien ser, doncs, racionalment destinades a pastures.I, finalment, algunes tenen virtuts medicinals. Són, principalment, "A. herba-alba", "A. caerulescens", "A. barrelieri", "A. hispànica", "A. absinthium", "A. arborescens" i "A. granatensis". Material ibèric d'algunes d'aquestes entitats ha estat objecte d'estudis fitoquímics (GONZALEZ & al, 1974; VILLAR & al., 1983) que poden ser la base per a una explotació d'algunes d'elles amb finalitats farmacològiques.L'interès pastoral, alimentari i terapèutic, la situació de la Península Ibèrica i les Illes Balears amb alguns grups crítics o conflictius i el fet que, en el nostre àmbit geogràfic, la darrera monografia del gènere datés dels temps de Moritz Willkomm (1821-1895) ens han menat a intentar dur a terme la revisió de les "Artemisia" ibèricobaleàriques, que comencem per les seccions "Artemisia" i "Seriphidium", des del punt de vista biosistemàtic, sense negligir els mètodes i els criteris de la taxonomia clàssica, però incorporant, a més, noves tècniques que permetin una visió més fina i aprofundida dels problemes.No volem creure que amb el nostre treball hagi quedat completament resolta tota la casuística que afecta els grups estudiats; esperem, això sí, que el que hem fet pugui constituir una aportació sòlida i actualitzada per a continuar avançant en la recerca sobre aquest interessant grup de plantes.

Os caracóis terrestres pertencem às famílias Achatinidae (África) e Helicidae (Europa). A espécie mais conhecida é a Achatina fulica (Gigante africano), sendo a mais recomendada para as regiões tropicais e subtropicais devido a sua capacidade de adaptação a estes climas. O muco de caracóis terrestres Achatina sp tem sido pesquisado devido sua atividade cicatrizante, além da atividade antibacteriana. A suplementação (plantas com finalidades cicatrizantes definidas como: confrei, papaína e centelha asiática nas rações destes animais) teve o propósito de caracterizar a composição glicoproteica do muco, considerando o bem-estar do animal, haja vista que os mesmos não foram sacrificados. Fez-se uso de uma metodologia envolvendo a coleta através de estímulo manual da glândula podal, responsável pela secreção do muco. Metodologia esta divergente de alguns autores que fizeram uso de estímulo elétrico com corrente elétrica nos animais para a coleta do muco, método este que vai contra os propósitos de bem-estar animal. Este estudo, além de utilizar uma metodologia menos drástica e prejudicial aos animais, permitiu que os mesmos retornassem ao seu ambiente de criação. As análises realizadas por testes colorimétricos e espectroscópicos, constataram que as alterações apresentadas nos testes foram muito semelhantes; no entanto, mostraram uma variação significativa na composição glicoproteica dos mucos analisados. / The terrestrial snails belong to the families Achatinidae (Africa) and Helicidae (Europe). The most known species is the Achatina fulica (Giant African), being the most recommended for the tropical and subtropical regions due its capacity of adaptation to these climates. Mucus of terrestrial snails Achatina sp has been searched had its wound healing activity, beyond the antibacterial activity. The suplementation (plants with defined wound healing purposes as comfrey, papain and centella asiatic in the rations of these animals) had the intention to characterize the glycoprotein composition of mucus, considering well-being of the animal, since the same ones had not been sacrificed. Using a methodology holding the collection through manual stimulation of the podal, responsible gland for the secretion of mucus. This methodology is divergent of some authors who had used electric stimulation with electric current on the animals for the collection of mucus, method contrary to the intentions of animal well-being. This study, beyond using a less drastic and harmful methodology to the animals, allowing that the same ones returned to its own creation environment. The analyses carried through for color and spectroscopy tests, evidenced that the alterations presented in the tests had been very similar; however, showed a significant variation in the glycoproteic composition of the analysed mucus.

This thesis comprises an exploration of the plant commonly known as plantain, or Plantago major, through participant observation of an apprenticeship in traditional western herbalism in the Ottawa region of Ontario, Canada. The first section delves into ideas and manifestations of “weediness” and “invasion”, while offering medicinal/ herbalist views of such plants as a kind of counterpoint. This touches on learning to garden, soil, lawns, plantations, invasive species, protests, and extrajudicial police killings among other topics. The following section, “horror in the hedge”, takes us first on an “herb walk” in Ottawa’s Experimental farm before moving on to a discussion of medicinal understory plants and Plantain alongside hedgerows, witch trials, plagues of Covid-19 and vibration in healing. From here the final section discusses medicine, delving first into the darker side of things as they manifest in the realm of medicinal mushrooms, again touching on the over-harvesting of medicinals, and the discoveries of supposed messiahs. Following is an exploration of how herbalists see continuity between the terrain of the human body and the land, returning again to the “herb walk” as a pedagogic mode utilized by herbalists. Finally, this work is summed up by an exploration of herbal formulation and medicine making, of the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herb’s Charm and the potent power of the triad. Drawing on Plantain as a kind of talisman, and structured after the Lacnunga’s Nine Herb’s charm, this work is an anthropological invocation of animist traditions emerging from Europe. To these ends, the works of Anna Tsing, Tim Ingold, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guatarri, Donna Haraway, Michael Taussig, Silvia Federici, David Abram, and Victor Turner, among many others, underpin the theoretical framework of this project.