Studies on the protective effects of medicinal plant extract against Escherichia coli in poultry
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Date
2022-12-21
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CSK HPKV, Palampur
Abstract
The present experimental study was planned to identify the most potent plant extract through in vitro studies
and then test the most effective plant extract against experimental E. coli (O101) organism intraperitoneally
in Delham Red (DR) chicks to evaluate the effects on clinical signs, mortality, body weight, serum
biochemical parameters and pathological changes. The 70% aqua-ethanolic extract of Artemisia annua (A.
annua) showed maximum antibacterial effect against experimental E. coli (O101) organism in vitro. The
pilot experiment was conducted to determine the LD50 dose which was found 3.6 x 107
cfuml-1
. In the
experiment, a total of 300, day-old Delham Red (DR) birds were randomly divided into 6 groups. The group
CX acted as control group, group EX was given E. coli infection only, groups EA, EB and EC were
administered with both E. coli and 70% aqua-ethanolic extract of A. annua at the dose rate of 0.5 g, 1.0 g
and 2.0 g per litre of water, respectively. The group AX was provided with 70% aqua-ethanolic extract of
A. annua only at the dose rate of 2 g/l of water. E. coli (O101) infection was given to the birds
intraperitoneally on 7th day of age. The 70% aqua-ethanolic extract of A. annua was given in drinking water
to birds from 0 day to day 14. The birds from each group were sacrificed at 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 day post infection (DPI). The findings of the present study revealed that group EX (E. coli infection only) exhibited
clinical signs of reduced feed and water intake, dullness, depression, huddling, ruffling of feathers, reluctance
to move and whitish watery diarrhoea. No clinical signs were observed in group CX and AX. The values of
biochemical parameters such as ALT, AST and creatinine were increased, whereas concentrations of total
protein and albumin were decreased in group EX (E. coli infection only) as compared to the group CX
(control group). However, the clinical signs and serum biochemical values in the groups EA, EB and EC
were significantly lower in dose-dependent manner as compared to group EX (E. coli infection only).
Mortality was highest in group EX (E. coli infection only) in comparison to treatment groups i.e EA, EB and
EC. The body weight was higher in group EC and in comparsion to that in group EX. The gross pathology
comprised of fibrinous perihepatitis, fibrinous pericarditis, airsacculitis, splenomegaly and peritonitis with
higher severity in group EX and there was significant reduction in the gross lesions in groups EA, EB and
EC in dose-dependent manner. Microscopically, the liver and heart of group EX showed severe perihepatitis,
pericarditis, vacuolar changes, leukocytic infiltration, degenerative changes and enhanced cytoplasmic
granularity. Similarly in group EX, the microscopic lesions in the spleen were characterized by
reticuloendothelial cell hyperplasia and an increase in eosinophilic coagulum material. Airsacs exhibited
varying degree of fibrinous airsacculitis.The microscopic lesions in the liver, heart, spleen and airsacs were
of less severity in group EA, EB and EC which were attributed to antibacterial effect of plant extract use in
the present study.