Abstract
Natural products are ecofriendly agents that can be used against parasitic diseases. Eimeria species cause eimeriosis in many birds and mammals and resistance to available medications used in the treatment of eimeriosis is emerging. We investigated the in vitro and in vivo activity of Morus nigra leaf extracts (MNLE) against sporulation of oocysts and infection of mice with Eimeria papillata. Phytochemical analysis of MNLE showed the presence of seven compounds and the in vitro effects of MNLE, amprolium, DettolTM, formalin, ethanol, and phenol were studied after incubation with oocysts before sporulation. Furthermore, infection of mice with E. papillata induced an oocyst output of approximately 12 × 105 oocysts/g of feces. MNLE significantly decreased oocyst output to approximately 86% and the total number of parasitic stages in the jejunum by approximately 87%. In addition, the reduction in the number of goblet cells in the jejuna of mice was increased after treatment. These findings suggest that mulberry exhibited powerful anticoccidial activity.
Highlights
Coccidiosis, one of the most serious diseases affecting many animals (Mehlhorn, 2014), is caused by infection with Eimeria spp. (Andrews et al, 2004) and leads to gastrointestinal problems characterized by diarrhea, poor growth performance, and in some cases death (Collier et al, 2008; Orengo et al, 2012)
Oocysts incubated with potassium dichromate (2.5%), Morus nigra leaf extracts (MNLE) (100 mg/mL), amprolium, and DettolTM showed different levels of sporulation (Table 2)
Treatment with different doses of MNLE (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the oocyst output to 86.8%, 86%, and 93.8%, respectively (Figure 2)
Summary
Coccidiosis, one of the most serious diseases affecting many animals (Mehlhorn, 2014), is caused by infection with Eimeria spp. (Andrews et al, 2004) and leads to gastrointestinal problems characterized by diarrhea, poor growth performance, and in some cases death (Collier et al, 2008; Orengo et al, 2012). Coccidiosis, one of the most serious diseases affecting many animals (Mehlhorn, 2014), is caused by infection with Eimeria spp. Infections induced by Eimeria spp. can foster opportunistic infections with other pathogens such as bacteria (Collier et al, 2008). This pathogen causes massive economic losses worldwide (Shirley et al, 2007; Chapman, 2014). Eimeria oocysts are relatively resistant to environment conditions, which makes control measures difficult (Stephen et al, 1997). Disruption of the sporulation process is a critical point where this parasite can be controlled (Mai et al, 2009). The prevalent prophylactic use of anticoccidial feed additives has led to widespread resistance (Stephen et al, 1997), which has currently been reported against available drugs (Williams, 1999; Chapman, 2014)
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