title: Effects of artemisinin in broiler chickens challenged with Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima and E. tenella in battery trials.
abstract: Four experiments were conceived in order to test the efficacy of artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone derived from Artemisia annua, in single experimental infection of broiler chickens with Eimeria acervulina (1 × 10(5) oocysts), Eimeria maxima (5 × 10(4) oocysts) or Eimeria tenella (1 × 10(4) oocysts), and mixed infection with all 3 species (3.2 × 10(4) Eimeria spp. oocysts). For each experiment, three different dosages of artemisinin (5, 50 and 500 ppm) were compared with a negative control (uninfected, unmedicated), a positive control (infected, unmedicated) and a classical anticoccidial (monensin). The weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), oocysts shedded per gram of feces (OPG), lesion score, oocysts sporulation rates and mortality rate were recorded in all groups. The dosage of 5 ppm of artemisinin improved the WG and FCR for the chickens infected with E. acervulina. The OPG was significantly decreased in all the groups medicated with artemisinin and challenged with a mixed infection (p ≤ 0.01). The lesion score of the chickens challenged with Eimeria was reduced by different concentrations of artemisinin, depending on the species involved, but this compound did not have a positive effect on the lesions caused by E. acervulina. Histopathological analysis revealed superficial erosions of the intestinal mucosa, mixt. mononuclear and heterophilic inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria and intralesional presence of various developmental stages of parasite in groups infected with Eimeria spp.The sporulation rate of E. acervulina and E. maxima oocysts was significantly affected by 500 ppm of artemisinin, whilst the dosage of 5 ppm affected the sporulation of E. tenella oocysts. These data suggest that artemisinin is not effective against single eimerian infections but could be used as an alternative in mixed coccidiosis, especially if its effect on the oocysts sporulation would be fully investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pop
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania. Electronic address: titilincua@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Györke
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Necropsy and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Alexandru Flaviu
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Tǎbǎran
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Mirabela Oana
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Dumitrache
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Zsuzsa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kalmár
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magdaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Viorica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mircean
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zagon
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Anamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balea
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Manastur Street, Cluj-Napoca 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Vasile
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cozma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003049:Coccidiostats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004539:Eimeria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000469:parasitology; D033661:Oocysts / Q000187:drug effects; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D037621:Artemisinins; D003049:Coccidiostats; C031327:artemisinin
keywords: Artemisinin; Chicken; Coccidiosis; Eimeria