Anticoccidial activity of herbal complex in broiler chickens challenged with Eimeria tenella.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anticoccidial effect of different concentrations of the herbal complex of 4 plants (leaves of Azadirachta indica and Nicotiana tabacum, flowers of Calotropis procera and seeds of Trachyspermum ammi) in broiler chickens in comparison with amprolium anticoccidial. Three concentrations (2 g, 4 g and 6 g) of herbal complex were given to the experimental groups once a day and amprolium (at the dose rate of 125 ppm) was given orally in drinking water from the 14th to the 21st days of age. One group was kept as infected, non-medicated control and one as non-infected, non-medicated control. All groups were inoculated orally with 75,000 sporulated oocysts on the 14th day of age except the non-infected, non-medicated control. Among herbal complex medicated groups, the maximum anticoccidial effect was seen in the group medicated with 6 g herbal complex followed by 4 g and 2 g herbal complex medicated groups. Treatment with 6 g of the herbal complex significantly reduced the negative performance and pathogenic effects associated with Eimeria tenella challenge at a level that was comparable with amprolium when using a largely susceptible recent field isolate. In summary, concentration-dependent anticoccidial activity of the studied herbal complex suggests its use as an alternative anticoccidial agent to chemotherapeutic drugs for Eimeria tenella control.