EVALUATION OF THE MEDICINAL POTENTIALS OF LOWVELD BEAD-STRING (ALCHORNEA LAXIFLORA, (BENTH.) PAX AND K. HOFFM.) AND SOURSOP (ANNONA MURICATA SAFFORD) LEAF EXTRACTS AGAINST EIMERIA TENELLA INFECTION IN BROILER CHICKENS

Abstract

The resistance to common anticoccidial drugs has led to exploring natural sources for prophylaxis and therapy. This research evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacies of Annona muricata and Alchornea laxiflora at different dosages. Two experimental phases of efficacy evaluations of the two plants extracts were employed in the research. The prophylactic phase, was made of 2 weeks old broiler chicks, divided into four treatment groups; Alchornea laxiflora 100mg/kg, Alchornea laxiflora 125mg/kg body weight, Annona muricata 100, Annona muricata 125 mg/kg body weight and one control (uninfected) group. Extracts were administered to the birds in corresponding groups at third week then inoculated with the sporulated Eimeria tenella oocysts at week 4. The therapeutic phase was made up of started broiler birds, which were divided into six treatment groups; Alchornea laxiflora leaf extracts at 100, 125, 165mg/kg body weight, Annona muricata leaf extracts at 100, 125, 165mg/kg body weight and three control groups; the uninfected (NiF), the infected untreated (INT) and the infected treated with toltrazuril groups (ITT) as positive control. The birds were infected with sporulated Eimeria tenella oocysts at week 4, then treatments administration at week 5, after the isolation of Eimeria oocysts in the faeces and onset on coccidial clinical signs as parameters to confirm manifestation of the infection. Blood parameters, faecal oocysts counts and biochemical assays were conducted for the two phases and the results were statistically analysed. Results revealed the therapeutic administration of Alchornea laxiflora leaf extracts at doses above 125mg/kg body weight and Annona muricata leaf extracts at minimum dose of 100mg/kg body weight had significant reduction (P<0.05) on excreted Eimeria oocysts counts without any significant deviation from normal haematological and biochemical indices of the broilers. Similarly, the prophylactic phase indicated the protective ability of Alchornea laxiflora at 125mg/kg and Annona muricata 100mg and 125mg/kg leaf extracts against Eimeria spp. Conclusively, Annona muricata has higher therapeutic effect than Alchornea laxiflora though both displayed prophylactic and therapeutic potentials against E. tenella oocysts which is dose dependent. It is therefore recommended that these plant extracts be further explored for actual phytochemical constituents through bioguided research that is responsible for the displayed anticoccidial properties.