The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of heather (Ericaceae) phenolic extracts on the abomasal nematodes Teladorsagia circumcincta and Haemonchus contortus. Extracts of three heather species (Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, Erica umbellata and a balanced mixture of all three) were tested in vitro on different development stages of T. circumcincta (eggs, infective larvae and adult worms) and H. contortus (eggs and infective larvae) using an egg hatching assay (EHA), a larval exsheathment inhibition assay (LEIA) and an adult motility inhibition assay (AMIA). The egg hatching rate was measured after incubation with heather extracts for 48 h at 25 degrees C. Ensheathed infective larvae were incubated for 3 h at 20 degrees C with heather extracts. Artificial exsheathment was induced in vitro by adding hypochloride solution to the larval suspension. The progress of exsheathment over time was measured by repeated observations at 10-min (T. circumcincta) and 20-min (H. contortus) intervals for 60 min. Adult T. circumcincta worms were obtained from two donor goats and incubated with the extracts at 37 degrees C for 3 days in 48-well multiwell plates. Worm motility was measured at 0, 19, 24, 43, 48, 67 and 72 h. The extracts were tested at concentrations of 75, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 mu g/mL. Incubation with E. cinerea, E. umbellata and mixed heather extracts had a significant (P < 0.01) dose-dependent effect on T. circumcincta egg hatching. H. contortus egg hatching was significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited only by the E. cinerea extract. All extracts had a significant (P < 0.01) dose-dependent effect on the exsheathment of T. circumcincta and H. contortus infective larvae. The incubation with all heather extracts induced a reduction in adult T. circumcincta motility compared to the control, although significant (P < 0.05) differences were only found at the highest concentration (1200 mu g/mL). The effect of the mixed extract was significant at all concentrations and significant effects were also observed for C. vulgaris and E. umbellata at 600 mu g/mL. These results show anthelmintic properties of heather phenolic extracts against T. circumcincta and H.. contort, thus confirming observations from previous in vivo studies. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.