Anticoccidial efficacy of (Heckel H.) against experimental infection in chicks.

There is a need to advance commercial poultry production to cater to the essential protein needs of an ever-increasing population, however, the rampant occurrence of coccidiosis infection poses a threat to this achievement. This study evaluated the in vivo anticoccidial activities of the extracts and fractions of against experimental infection using broiler chickens as experimental subjects. A total of 40 broiler chicks were experimentally infected with and assigned randomly into five groups consisting of eight chicks each. Three days post experimental infection groups I and II were administered orally with tween 80 (0.8%) and Amprolium (30 mg/kg) and served as untreated and treated control groups, respectively whereas Groups III, IV, and V were administered orally with crude methanol extract (CME) at doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg, respectively, for five consecutive days. Daily weight gains were recorded and faecal oocysts per gram (OPG) counts were made by the McMaster Egg counting technique. Blood samples from each experimental group were collected on days 0, 3, 6, and 8 for haematological examination. In the acute toxicity studies, the CME of did not produce any toxic effect or mortality at doses between 10 and 5000 mg/kg. The CME was then considered safe and the LD was assumed to be > 5000 mg/kg. Graded doses of CME of considerably ( < 0.05) improved body weight gain and decreased OPG in a dose-depended manner. There was also significant improvement in the Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Red Blood Cell (RBC) and White Blood Cell (WBC) counts upon treatment with the graded doses of CME of Besides, significantly decreased histopathological lesions in the caecum. The results of this study indicates that may provide beneficial effects against -induced coccidiosis in broiler chickens.