Ameliorative effect of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract on the pathology of experimental Escherichia coli infection in broiler chicken

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation of neem leaf extracton pathology of different organs in experimentally Escherichia coli (E. coli) challenged broiler chickens. One hundred and ninety two, day old broiler chicks were divided into two groups (A and B) with ninety six birds each. Diet of group Achicks was supplemented with 10% neem leaf extract in water, whereas group B chicks were given feed and water without supplementation. After one week, chicks of both the groups were again divided into two subgroups (A1 & A2 and B1 & B2), respectively. At the age of 7 days, A1 and B1 groups were injected with Escherichia coli O78 @ 107 CFU/0.5 ml intraperitoneally. Necropsyof chicks sacrificed at 0th, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day post infection revealed gross lesions of fibrinous pericarditis and perihepatitis, congestion in visceral organs, pneumonia, peritonitis and enteritisin E. coli infected chicks. These gross lesions were of lesser intensity in NLE supplemented infected group. The histopathological lesions observed in E. coli infected groups were fibrinous pericarditis, myocarditis, fibrinous perihepatitis, hepatitis, enteritis, pneumonia and nephritis. The severity of these lesions in group A1 was of mild magnitude as compared to group B1. No gross and histopathological changes could be observed in chicks from non-infected groups. It may be inferred that supplementation of 10% NLE has protective effect on limiting the pathology of E. coli infection in broiler chicken.