Anthelmintic Pteridophytes in Sheeps (Ovis aries Linn.)

Ethnobotany in human and veterinary medicine is an emerging field in treatment of various infectious diseases caused by micro-organisms like bacteria, virus and fungi, oncogenic disease, endo and ecto parasitic infections, skin infections, wound healing potential and other etiological factors with no untoward symptoms, least toxic and low cost effective. There are various research activities in higher taxonomic plant group unlike Bryophytes and Pteridophytes. Pteridophytic medicinal plants are declining and destroyed due to human habitation, natural landslides, soil erosion, heavy rainfall and are in the threatened stage and some are in endangered status in the Red Data book of IUCN. Medicinal properties of ferns and fern-allies as folklore medicine are the initial step for the research activities in application of these Pteridophytic plants in ethno-veterinary medicine. This book is focused on the distribution and diversity of medicinal Pteridophytes, Phytochemical studies of selected ferns for anthelmintic activity using various solvent extracts, in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of ferns against endoparasitic infection in Sheeps.