Ciencia y tecnología veterinaria

Coccidial Experimental Infection of Broiler Chickens and Effects of Treatment with Conyza aegyptiaca Ethanolic Extract on Haematological and Carcass Parameters

Abstract

Emmanuel Tana Toah, Sop Foka Eric Igor, Vincent Khan Payne, Yamssi Cedric and Noumedem Anangmo Christelle Nadia

Background and objective: Coccidiosis is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Eimeria and affects poultry industries worldwide. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of C. aegyptiaca ethanolic extract on broiler chicken coccidiosis.

Methods:Six groups of chicks in a complete randomized design were used for the study. Each chick among five groups was orally challenged with 2 × 10⁴ Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts. The first three groups received the decoction of C. aegyptiaca orally at 400, 200 and 100 mg/kg respectively, while the fourth group received anticox. The fifth group was the negative control. Chickens were sacrificed at the end of the treatment and haematological parameters such as white blood cell count, lympocytes, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet count were determined using an automatic counter. For carcass performance, the chickens were weighed after de-feathered with and without internal organs (non-conventional and conventional yields respectively). Meat samples were collected from the thigh muscles and chest for the evaluation of chemical and technological properties.

Results: There was a significant improvement on the haematological (red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells and differential counts, haemoglobin, hematocrit and mean corpsular volume) and carcass (chemical and technological) parameters, especially in the IME400 mg/kg, positive and the normal control compared to the negative control.

Conclusion: Results from this study could be used for developing phytoelements that can serve as an alternative to synthetic anti-coccidial drugs.