Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease that often affects livestock. Identifying plants with inhibitory effects on the development of the parasite could help in finding new natural treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoccidial potentials of extracts from Azadirachta indica leaves (AILs), Combretum micranthum leaves (CMLs), Carica papaya seeds (CPSs), Sarcocephalus latifolius roots (SLRs), and Vernonia amygdalina leaves (VALs). The in vitro anticoccidial efficacy of the extracts was evaluated through oocyst sporulation inhibition and sporozoite viability inhibition assays of Eimeria oocysts. The setup was examined for 72 h (every 24 h) of incubation. The DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the extracts. Among the tested extracts, the SLR, CPS, and AIL extracts exhibited the maximum oocyst sporulation inhibition (75.85 ± 1.21%, 74.53 ± 1.65%, and 71.58 ± 0.24%, respectively) at a concentration of 75 mg/mL of plant extracts against the Eimeria species. The Sarcocephalus latifolius root extract showed the highest radical scavenging capacity (76.25 ± 0.53) and reducing power (86.21 ± 4.28). The biochemical screening of the selected plant extracts revealed the presence of antioxidant compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, and carbohydrates. The SLR extract contained the highest amounts of phenols (56.11 ± 0.33 µg/mL) and flavonoids (36.65 ± 1.85 µg/mL). In conclusion, the selected hydro-ethanolic extracts from these plants possess excellent anticoccidial and antioxidant activities, which can be attributed to the presence of medicinally important phytochemicals. Further research is needed to identify and isolate the active anticoccidial compounds from these plants, which could be utilized in the development of drugs against coccidiosis.

Eimeria species cause coccidiosis, a poultry disease that occurs worldwide. Infection is linked to decreased feed efficiency and body weight increase. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of coccidian species in Togolese poultry farms and evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of three local medicinal plants. From July to September 2023, two hundred and ninety-five fecal samples were randomly collected using a cross-sectional observational study in the maritime region of Togo, specifically in Vo, Lacs, Zio, and Grand-Lomé districts. Data on risk factors were collected through an interview with the poultry farmers. All fecal samples collected were subjected to Eimeria oocyst counting using the standard McMaster technique. The anticoccidial activity of the extract of Azadirachta indica leaves Carica papaya seeds, and Sarcocephalus latifolius roots in a completely randomized design was evaluated on 23-day-old male Isa brown chicks infected with 30.104 oocysts. Body weight gain, feed efficiency, lesion score, proportion of bloody droppings, anticoccidial index, and excretion of coccidia oocysts were assessed. The results revealed an overall prevalence of 39.66% (117/295) for coccidiosis, with 75% of positive samples having fewer than 10,000 oocysts/g. The logistic regression test indicated that the interval between two anticoccidial prophylaxis applications, age, management, and breed were significant risk factors associated with coccidial infection, with young chicks (≤ 8 weeks) being 5.66 times more susceptible than those older ones (8 weeks) with 0.86 as an odd ratio. Six Eimeria species were identified, with E. maxima (54.17%), E. brunetti (33.33%), and E. tenella (25%) being the most common. The anticoccidial efficacy of Azadirachta indica leaves, Carica papaya seeds Sarcocephalus latifolius roots extract, and amprolium was demonstrated by a reduction in lesion scores, bloody diarrhea, and oocysts per gram in feces (OPG) as well as an improvement in body weight, feed conversion ratio, and production efficiency factor when compared to infected and untreated groups. The anticoccidial index was marked in the chickens treated with Sarcocephalus latifolius roots extract (170) and amprolium (176). The findings of this large-scale epidemiological study and anticoccidial efficacy tests revealed that these Togolese medicinal plants can be sustainable and cost-effective strategies for coccidiosis control.

TOXICO-pathological effects of herbal plants have always been a major concern, but little information is provided on the toxico-pathological effects of medicinal plants used against coccidiosis. This study aimed to assess the histopathological effects of Carica papaya seeds (CPS), Azadirachta indica leaves (AIL), and Sarcocephalus latifolius root (SLR) used as coccidiostat in traditional poultry farms with various doses using the chick embryo model. A total of 420 Sasso breeder eggs at ED4 of incubation were inoculated with the extract of these plants following a 3×4 factorial design with 3 plant extracts (CPS, AIL and SLR) and 4 inoculation doses (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg egg-weight). From ED6 to ED19, the weights of the albumen and embryo were recorded, and the weights of ED19 embryo organs such as liver, heart, kidney, and lungs were measured. Additionally, histopathological lesions were examined. The results indicated that the presence of various phytoconstituents such as alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, coumarins, steroids, and triterpenes with statistically significant free-radical-scavenging ability differed among the plant extracts (p < 0.0001). Toxico-pathological examination revealed a dose-dependent slight toxicity (p < 0.0001) of the Azadirachta indica leaves extract compared to the other plants. Additionally, the relative organ weight showed kidney hypertrophy (p = 0.001) and liver hypertrophy (p = 0.0001), as well as dilation of hepatic and cardiac vessels. The conclusion drawn was that chicken embryos are more susceptible to in ovo inoculation with Azadirachta indica leaves compared to Carica papaya seeds and Sarcocephalus latifolius root.

Introduction: Coccidiosis is a severe and lethal parasitic disease affecting birds globally, caused by protozoans from the genus Eimeria, posing significant economic challenges. Africa native tree Sarcocephalus latifolius is traditionally used to treat diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders and parasitic diseases. The present in vitro study aimed to evaluate the impact of a processed hydro-ethanolic extract of S. latifolius root on the survival of poultry Eimeria sporozoites. Methods: Spectrophotometric methods were used to evaluate antioxidant activity, specifically the DPPH and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The total phenolic (TP) and flavonoid (TF) levels were also measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride techniques, respectively. The extract was tested in vitro for oocysticidal sporulation suppression at five different concentrations (25, 50, 75, 100, and 150 mg/mL). The reference controls were K2Cr2O7 (2.5%) and Amprolium (20%) (negative and positive, respectively). Results: The ascorbic acid’s antioxidant activity (97.37±0.86 μM Fe(II)/g) and that of the S. latifolius root extract (86.21±4.28 μM Fe(II)/g) were comparable (P>0.05). S. latifolius root extract ability to trap free radicals was tested similar (P>0.05) to that of ascorbic acid. Compared to the untreated control, S. latifolius root extract significantly reduced (P0.05). Conclusion: S. latifolius root extract seems to have the potential properties as an alternative to conventional anticoccidial drugs in controlling of poultry coccidiosis.