Sutiastuti Wahyuwardani1, Dwi Yulistiani2*, Ferdy Saputra2, Gresy Eva Tresia2, Lisa Praharani2, Achmad Fanindi2, Cecep Hidayat2, Susana Insusila Watyning Rakhmani2, Tiurma Pasaribu2, Santiananda Arta Asmarasari2, Raphaella Widiastuti1, Dyah Haryuningtyas Sawitri1, Diana Andrianita Kusumaningrum2, Endang Sutedi2, Eni Siti Rohaeni2, Tatan Kostaman2, Try Zulchi Prasetiyo Hariyadi2
1Research Center for Veterinary Science, Research Organization for Health, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia
2Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
*Corresponding author’s email: dwiy009@brin.go.id
Received: 07 April 2026 / Revised: 29 June 2026 / Accepted: 03 July 2026 / Published Online: 05 August 2026
Abstract
Gastrointestinal helminthiasis continues to be one of the major constraints limiting the productivity of ruminant livestock throughout the world, especially in the tropics and subtropics, leading to economic and welfare impacts. Frequent use of commercial anthelmintics has increased cases of drug resistance, raising fears about adverse effects on the environment and contamination of animal-based products. Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) have increasingly emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative for controlling helminths. In this study, bibliometrics was combined with a systematic review conducted following the PRISMA protocol to assess the global research dynamics and anthelmintic activity of PSMs on ruminants. In total, 176 publications from 2015 to 2025 underwent bibliometric analysis, whereas 117 eligible publications were considered for the systematic review. The findings indicate that there is a positive trend towards publication volume with a peak in 2019 and then stabilisation in subsequent years. The keyword analysis indicated that three main thematic areas exist: parasitology and field studies, bioactivity assessment, and phytochemistry. The results indicate that PSMs possess considerable anthelmintic potential via various pathways, such as the interference with the parasite, inhibition of egg hatching, larval development, and host-parasite interaction. Nevertheless, an evident discrepancy between in vitro experiments and in vivo/field trials has been highlighted, emphasizing an essential limitation of transferring the experimental results into practice. Therefore, the current work presents a valuable compilation of global research trends and knowledge gaps, underlining the necessity for a standardized approach, as well as in vivo/field validation, which would facilitate sustainable management of helminths using plant resources.
Keywords: Gastrointestinal nematodes, Ruminants, Plant secondary metabolites, Anthelmintic activity, Sustainable parasite control, Anthelmintic resistance
