title: The effect of Artemisia annua on broiler performance, on intestinal microbiota and on the course of a Clostridium perfringens infection applying a necrotic enteritis disease model.
abstract: The aerial parts of the plant Artemisia annua contain essential oils having antimicrobial properties against Clostridium perfringens Type A, the causal agent for necrotic enteritis in broilers. In two experiments, the influence of increasing dietary concentrations of dried A. annua leaves (0, 5, 10 and 20 g/kg) and n-hexane extract from fresh A. annua leaves (0, 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) on broiler performance was investigated. Dried plant material decreased feed intake and body weight in a dose-dependent manner, and 10 and 20 g/kg diet tended to improve the feed conversion ratio. The n-hexane extract also reduced feed intake, but broiler weight tended to decrease only at the highest dietary concentration. The feed conversion ratio tended to improve when birds received 250 and 500 mg/kg n-hexane extract. In a third experiment, a necrotic enteritis disease model was applied to investigate the effect of the dietary addition of dried A. annua leaves (10 g/kg on top) or n-hexane extract of A. annua (250 mg/kg) on the severity of the disease in broilers. The addition of n-hexane extract reduced the intestinal C. perfringens numbers and the severity of the disease-related small intestinal lesions. Over the infection period from day 17 to day 27, birds supplemented with the n-hexane extract gained more weight than both the challenged control birds and birds receiving dried plant material. The results indicate that n-hexane extracts derived from A. annua can modulate the course of necrotic enteritis and compensate to a certain extent for the disease-associated weight losses.
authors: Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark. ricarda.engberg@agrsci.dk
authors: Ricarda Margarete
authors: RM
authors: Engberg
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Grevsen
authors: Elise
authors: E
authors: Ivarsen
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Fretté
authors: Lars Porskjær
authors: LP
authors: Christensen
authors: Ole
authors: O
authors: Højberg
authors: Bent Borg
authors: BB
authors: Jensen
authors: Nuria
authors: N
authors: Canibe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031172:Artemisia annua / Q000737:chemistry*; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004751:Enteritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D064307:Microbiota / Q000187:drug effects; D009336:Necrosis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts