Effect of treatment with Neem (Azadirachta indica) compared with Baycox drug on the caecum of chicken experimentally infected with Eimeria tenella.

The study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of Neem herb in chicken experimentally infected with E. tenella compared to Baycox as a reference anticoccidial drug. 120 broiler chicks were enrolled, randomly divided to 4 groups, (A, B, C & D) non-infected non-treated (naïve control), (B) infected with 10(4) E. tenella oocysts (infected control), (C) infected and treated with Baycox (7 mg/kg b.w. for 2 days) and (D) infected and treated with Neem leaves water extract (100 mg/kg b.w. for 9 days). Evaluation was by clinical signs, performance data (gain weigh, food consumption oocyst shed/gram feaces (OPG)), in addition to histopathological changes in all chickens. The results revealed that chicks of GA had the best performance data compared to GB, GC & GD. In GC & GD there were a remarkable improvement in the data performance, clinical signs, gross and microscopically cecal lesions compared to GB. The efficacy of Baycox (GC) was shown to be superior to that of Neem (GD) compared to GB but an additive histopathological toxic effect besides those produced by E. tenella infection could be recorded. In contrast, Neem appeared to have a remarkable improvement on cecal integrity.