title: Anticoccidial effects of Galla rhois extract on Eimeria tenella-infected chicken.
abstract: Anticoccidial effects of Galla rhois (GR) extract were evaluated in chickens after oral infection with Eimeria tenella. This study was performed using 3-day-old chickens (n=30). The animals were divided into 3 groups as follows: GR 0.5%/infected (n=10), untreated/infected (n=10), and non-infected control (n=10). The chickens were fed a standard diet supplemented with or without GR for 1 week before infection with E. tenella (10,000 sporulated oocysts per chicken). The effects of GR on E. tenella infection were assessed by 2 parameters, number of fecal oocysts and body weight gain, and the results of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The GR-fed chickens produced significantly lower number of fecal oocysts (P<0.05) than the E. tenella-infected chickens who were fed the standard diet. In addition, GR-based diet improved the loss of body weight caused by E. tenella infection. Positive findings of PCR were identified by distinct bands in the samples of E. tenella-inoculated chickens. However, PCR analysis revealed no E. tenella oocysts in the feces of GR-fed chickens. Our data showed that GR extracts had remarkable anticoccidial activities against E. tenella. This finding might have implications for the development of novel anticoccidial drugs.
authors.affiliation: Korean Medicine (KM)-Based Herbal Drug Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Dajeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sunhwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Yung-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Ki-Duk
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Okjin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Anticoccidial activity; coccidiosis; eimeria; eimeria tenella; galla rhois