Hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effect of leaf extract on challenged broiler chicken.

is an important medicinal plant found to exhibit several medicinal properties but the use of its leaves for combating infection has not been scientifically validated in poultry. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of methanol leaf extract of (ANE) on challenged broiler chickens. Three hundred and thirty, day-old broiler chickens, were divided into 6 groups of 55 each, with group EX infected intraperitoneally (I/P) with LD dose of 1 × 10 cfu/ml of ; group(s) EA1, EA2 and EA3 infected I/P with 1 × 10 cfu/ml of and supplemented with ANE @ 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/L of drinking water, respectively; group AX were only given ANE @ 2.0 g/L in the drinking water. ANE treatment was started from day 4 and was continuously given in the drinking water up to day 21. infection was given to the birds on day 7 of their age. The effect of the plant extract was evaluated on the basis of gross, microscopic and ultrastructural alterations in challenged broiler chickens. The extract of was found to show antibacterial, cardioprotective and hepatoprotective properties in a dose-dependent manner on the basis of gross and microscopic examination. The methanol extract of leaves revealed no toxic effect on the hepatocytes on ultrastructural evaluation. This study demonstrates the antimicrobial, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective activities of ANE in broiler chickens infected with organism.