title: Anticoccidial effects of the Plantago asiatica extract on experimental Eimeria tenella infection.
abstract: Anticoccidial effects of the Plantago asiatica extract (PAE) were evaluated in chickens following oral infection with Eimeria (E.) tenella. This study was conducted on the 3-day-old chickens (n=30). Those animals were divided with 3 groups; PAE 0.1% treated/infected (n=10), PAE untreated/infected (n=10) and non-infected control (n=10). Chickens were fed a standard diet supplemented with or without PAE for 1 week prior to infection with E. tenella (10,000 sporulated oocysts per chicken). The effects of PAE on E. tenella infection were assessed by two parameters; fecal oocysts shedding and body weights gain. The PAE-fed chickens produced significantly reduced fecal oocysts (P<0.05) when compared to the E. tenella-infected group fed standard diet. Also, PAE-based diet, improved body weight loss caused by E. tenella infection. Our data demonstrated that PAE had remarkable anticoccidial activities against E. tenella. This finding might have implications for the development of anticoccidial drug. This study is the first to demonstrate anticoccidial effect of PAE on Eimeria parasites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pet and Plant Protection, Gyeongju University, 188 Taejong-ro, Gyeongju 38065, Korea.
authors.forename: Sunhwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Center for Animal Resource Development, Animal Disease Research Unit, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksandaero, Iksan 54538, Korea.
authors.forename: Gi-Wook
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Center for Animal Resource Development, Animal Disease Research Unit, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksandaero, Iksan 54538, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Guk
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Center for Animal Resource Development, Animal Disease Research Unit, Wonkwang University, 460 Iksandaero, Iksan 54538, Korea.
authors.forename: Okjin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Anticoccidial activity; Plantago asiatica; antiprotozoa; eimeria; eimeria tenella