Anticoccidial effect of green tea-based diets against Eimeria maxima.
Anticoccidial effects of green tea (GT)-based diets were evaluated in chickens following oral infection with Eimeria maxima an ubiquitous intestinal parasite of poultry that impairs the growth and feed efficiency of infected birds. Five-week-old chickens were assigned to four groups (GT 0.5%, GT 2.0%, untreated/infected and non-infected control) and each group consisted of 15 chickens. Chickens were fed a standard diet supplemented with ground green tea for 2 weeks prior to infection with E. maxima (10,000 sporulated oocysts per bird). The effects of green tea on E. maxima infection were assessed by two parameters, fecal oocyst shedding and body weight gain. The green tea-fed chickens produced significantly reduced fecal oocysts (P<0.05) when compared to the E. maxima-infected group fed standard diet. The green tea-based diet, however, did not improve body weight loss caused by E. maxima infection. This study is the first to demonstrate anticoccidial effect of green tea on Eimeria parasites.
Jang
Seung I
SI
College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Republic of Korea.
Jun
Moo-Hyung
MH
Lillehoj
Hyun S
HS
Dalloul
Rami A
RA
Kong
Il-Keun
IK
Kim
Suk
S
Min
Wongi
W
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D003049:Coccidiostats / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004539:Eimeria / Q000187:drug effects*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D003049:Coccidiostats; D013662:Tea