article · Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine
Parasitic worms and coccidia cause significant gastrointestinal infections in poultry. An experimental trial evaluated the therapeutic effects of aqueous extracts from mango tree bark (Mangifera indica) and leadtree leaves (Leucaena leucocephala) in local Brahma chicks infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, and Eimeria species. Chicks were organised into untreated control batches and treated batches receiving 15 grams per litre of either plant extract. Over two weeks, parasite egg and oocyst counts rose in untreated controls but dropped significantly in treated groups. In the first week, Mangifera indica extract reduced counts by over 72% for Ascaridia galli, 80% for Heterakis gallinarum, and 77% for Eimeria. Leucaena leucocephala achieved reductions of 78%, 88%, and 67% for the same parasites. Furthermore, severe coccidial lesions occurred exclusively in untreated control birds, confirming the therapeutic potential of both plant extracts.
Gastrointestinal parasites harm poultry health and reduce farm productivity. Demonstrating that readily available plant materials, such as mango tree bark and leadtree leaves, can substantially curb worm infestations and coccidial lesions offers evidence for alternative, plant-derived veterinary treatments to support poultry management.
This research provides applied in vivo evidence for using botanical extracts as alternative anthelmintic and anticoccidial treatments in poultry farming. Poultry producers and veterinary health product developers could explore these plant extracts as natural treatments for gastrointestinal parasites. The findings represent early-stage in vivo trial testing, meaning further formulation, dosing, safety, and regulatory development would be required before commercial deployment.
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A trial to determine the anthelminthic and anticoccidial activities of Mangifera indica and Leucaena leucocephala on helminths (Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum) and coccidian in local hens was conducted on 96 one-day-old Brahma chicks weighing an average of 31.33 g and hatched from 140 fertilised eggs. These chicks were randomly divided into 12 experimental units, comprising 4 replicates of 8 subjects, i.e. 4 females and 4 males. In each experimental unit, the chickens were divided into batches with equivalent infestations: a control batch (untreated), a batch treated with aqueous extracts of Leucaena leucocephala leaves at a rate of 15 g of extract per litre of water and a batch treated with aqueous extracts of Mangifera indica bark at a rate of 15 g/litre. While in general the number of eggs and oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) post-treatment always increased in the control batch, it decreased in the treated batches infested with Ascaridia galli and Heterakis and Eimeria sp during the two weeks of treatment. Thus, the reduction rates obtained during the first week of treatment with the aqueous extract of Mangifera indica were 72.13%, 80.03% and 77.51% respectively for Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Emeria sp. During the same week, OPG reduction rates of 78.04%, 88.28% and 67% were recorded for the respective parasites of Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Emeria sp treated with the aqueous extract of Leucaena leucocephala. In addition, the percentage of appearance of lesion scores (+0 Absence of lesion) of coccidia was lower in treated batches compared with the control batch, and the presence of severe and extremely severe lesions was only observed in the control batch. These results attest to the therapeutic effects of Leucaena leucocephala leaves and Mangifera indica bark against gastrointestinal parasitosis in chickens.
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DOI: 10.4236/ojvm.2025.151001
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