THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF SOME ORGANIC ACIDS AND ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST EIMERIA SPP. ISOLATES COLLECTED FROM BROILER CHICKEN FARMS IN ASSIUT

Different Eimeria isolates were collected and identified in 50 intestinal specimens. The therapeutic potential of the organic acids and essential oils blends against E. tenella was compared with the anticoccidial drugs toltrazuril and amprolium in broiler chickens. Results revealed that E. tenella was the most frequent identified Eimeria species (48 %) followed by E. acervulina (30 %) and E. mitis (28 %), while the least detected were E. mivati (2%) and E. brunetti (2 %). Organic acids medication reduced the clinical signs and mortality to 33.3 % compared to amprolium (40 %), Essential oils (40 %), and toltrazuril (53.3 %) medicated groups and the positive control (60 %). The best relative body weight gain percent during the experimental course was achieved by birds medicated with organic acids (40 %) and toltrazuril (40 %) followed by amprolium (30 %) and essential oils (30 %) medicated group and the least in the positive control (10 %). The severity of the cecal lesions was reduced similarly by 34 % in all the medicated groups; all scored 2.3 on average in comparison to 3.5 in the positive control. Both organic acids and essential oils were unable to reduce the output of oocysts by over 17% and 3%, respectively, as opposed to 37% in the toltrazuril and 20.6% in the Amprolium treated groups. Microscopic observations revealed their healing effect of on the cecal tissue (epithelium and inflammatory response). The results support the notion that integrating the organic acids and or essential oils may have the ability to induce positive therapeutic effects similar to some chemical drugs such as toltrazuril and amprolium.