Anticoccidial activity of maslinic acid against infection with Eimeria tenella in chickens.

We propose maslinic acid (2-alpha, 3-beta-dihydroxiolean-12-en-28-oic acid), found in the leaves and fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.), as a new natural coccidiostatic product against Eimeria tenella. Its action in infected animals has been compared with animals treated with sodium salinomycin. The lesion index (LS), the oocyst index (OI) and the anticoccidial index (ACI) were studied with regard to the weight of the chicks. The ACI for maslinic acid was 210.27 and for sodium salinomycin 173.09. Similarly, both LS and OI decreased in the groups treated with maslinic acid. A considerable increase in weight was found in the chicks treated with maslinic acid compared with those in the control group. Histopathological studies of the caecum at 120 h post-infection showed that the infection rate decreased significantly in chicks treated with maslinic acid.