Anticoccidial effect of "Shi Ying Zi" Powder in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella

Abstract

BackgroundCoccidiosis is one of the most economically important diseases affecting the poultry industry. Currently, anticoccidial drugs used in veterinary clinical showed many deficiencies, and new control measures are urgently needed. Many plant-derived drugs, such as herbal extracts, showed effects with less drug residues and resistance. Development of herbal medicine as the anticoccidial drug is one of the most prospective method for treating coccidiosis.Methods“Shi Ying Zi” powder is consisted of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss, Taraxacum mongolicum Hand-Mazz and salt with the proportion of 55: 40: 5 (g/g/g). 200 1-day-old broiler chicks free of coccidiosis were equally divided into 10 groups: normal group, untreated group, 4 protective groups (positive control group and three “Shi Ying Zi” powder groups) and 4 therapeutical groups (positive control group and three “Shi Ying Zi” powder groups). At 11th day of age, the chicks in the four protective groups were prophylactically supplemented with “Shi Ying Zi” powder at the doses of 5g/kg, 10g/kg and 15g/kg and monensin (100mg/kg), respectively. At 14th day of age, chicks except those in blank group were inoculated with 2×104 sporulated oocysts of E. tenella. When the first hemorrhagic fecal was found, therapeutical drugs started administration. The low (5g/kg), medium (10g/kg) and high doses (15g/kg) of “Shi Ying Zi” powder were added into the diet, respectively. Sulfachloropyrazine sodium (positive control) was added into water (1g/L). The anti-coccidial index, biochemical parameters and tissue lesions were determined from 4 d post infection to 8 d post infection.ResultsSupplement with “Shi Yin Zi” powder for 3d prior to infection or after infection could improve the survival rate and relative growth rate and alleviate the pathological changes in the cecum, liver and kidney. “Shi Yin Zi” powder could recover the contents of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, creatinine, albumin and triglycerides in serum. The hemorrhage and total number of oocysts in feces were reduced. The anti-coccidial index reaches to 165. The anti-coccidial effects were equal to positive controls (monensin and sulfamlopyrazine). Conclusions“Shi Ying Zi” powder possesses potent anticoccidial effect and exhibits the potential to control E.tenella infection.