Anticoccidial activity of traditional Chinese herbal Dichroa febrifuga Lour. extract against Eimeria tenella infection in chickens

Parasitol Res. 2012 Dec;111(6):2229-33. doi: 10.1007/s00436-012-3071-y. Epub 2012 Aug 17.

Abstract

The study was conducted on broiler birds to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of an extract of Chinese traditional herb Dichroa febrifuga Lour. One hundred broiler birds were assigned to five equal groups. All birds in groups 1-4 were orally infected with 1.5 × 10(4) Eimeira tenella sporulated oocysts and birds in groups 1, 2 and 3 were medicated with 20, 40 mg extract/kg feed and 2 mg diclazuril/kg feed, respectively. The bloody diarrhea, oocyst counts, intestinal lesion scores, and the body weight were recorded to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy. The results showed that D. febrifuga extract was effective against Eimeria infection; especially 20 mg D. febrifuga extract/kg feed can significantly increase body weight gains and reduce bloody diarrhea, lesion score, and oocyst excretion in comparison to infected-unmedicated control group.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / isolation & purification
  • Body Weight
  • Chickens
  • China
  • Coccidiosis / drug therapy
  • Coccidiosis / parasitology
  • Coccidiosis / pathology
  • Coccidiosis / veterinary*
  • Diarrhea / drug therapy
  • Diarrhea / parasitology
  • Diarrhea / pathology
  • Diarrhea / veterinary
  • Eimeria tenella / drug effects*
  • Eimeria tenella / isolation & purification
  • Herbal Medicine
  • Hydrangeaceae / chemistry*
  • Oocysts / drug effects
  • Plant Extracts / administration & dosage*
  • Plant Extracts / isolation & purification
  • Poultry Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Poultry Diseases / parasitology
  • Poultry Diseases / pathology

Substances

  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Plant Extracts