Therapeutic activity of Thonningia sanguinea aqueous extract, Vahl on an experimental colibacillosis in chicken

Abstract

Broiler breeding is faced with serious diseases, including colibacillosis, which is the leading cause of antibiotic therapy and the second leading cause of mortality in poultry after salmonellosis. It is caused by avian pathogens of E. coli. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the aqueous extract of Thonningia sanguinea on certain therapeutic parameters in broiler chickens during experimental colibacillosis compared to a usual antimicrobial against colibacillary diarrhea (colistin). For each parameter, three lots of chicken meat were used: two treated batches, one with the plant extract and the other with colistin and one untreated contaminated batch (control). The study was spread over two weeks and for one week each chicken in the treated batch absorbed 500 mg of plant extract daily. The results show that the aqueous extract of this plant causes an improved clinical index, increased mean weight gain, reduced organ damage, elimination of germs in affected organs, and decreased mortality compared to the control group. On all the parameters, other than the moisture content, the plant extract had a more beneficial effect than colistin. Under these conditions, this plant could be used as a veterinary product to control avian colibacillosis.