Nutritional Supplements for the Control of Avian Coccidiosis – A Review

Abstract

Coccidiosis is acclaimed as the most prevalent enteric parasitic ailment of poultry. It is caused by an apicomplexan protozoon of the genus Eimeria, which resides in chicken intestinal epithelium leading to intestinal damage. As a result, bloody droppings are there, feed efficiency is reduced, the growth rate is impaired, and egg production is temporarily decreased. Treatment and prevention of coccidiosis are primarily accomplished by inoculating live vaccines and administering anticoccidial drugs. Due to anticoccidials’ continuous and excessive use, the mounting issue is drug resistant Eimeria strains. The poultry industry has managed resistance-related issues by suggesting shuttle and rotation schemes. Furthermore, new drugs have also been developed and introduced, but it takes a long time and causes cost inflation in the poultry industry. Moreover, government disallows growth promoters and drugs at sub-therapeutic doses in poultry due to increased concerns about the drug residues in poultry products. These constraints have motivated scientists to work on alternative ways to control coccidiosis effectively, safely, and sustainably. Using nutritional supplements is a novel way to solve the constraints mentioned above. The intriguing aspects of using dietary supplements against coccidiosis are that they reduce the risk of drug-resistant pathogen strains, ensure healthy, nutritious poultry products, have less reliance on synthetic drugs, and are typically considered environmentally safe. Furthermore, they improve productivity, enhance nonspecific immunity, preventing oxidation of fats (acting as antioxidants) and inflammation (acting as an anti-inflammatory). The present manuscript focuses on the efficacy, possible mechanism of action, applications, and different facets of nutrition supplements (such as organic acids, minerals, vitamins, probiotics, essential oils, amino acids, dietary nucleotides, feed enzymes, and yeast derivatives) as feed additive for treating poultry coccidiosis.