National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Topics in Animal Health Research 2001

03. Preventive effects of sugar cane extract (SCE) in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella oocysts

Japanese

  To study anti-coccidial infection effects of SCE, a native immunopotentiator, 1-week-old chickens (MHC; H.B15) were inoculated orally with SCE (500 mg/kg) for 3 consecutive days. Just after the final administration of SCE, chickens were inoculated orally with Eimeria tenella oocysts (NIAH strain; 2×103/chicken) for the initial infection. At 2 and 3 weeks of age, mixed antigens (0.1 ml) of sheep red blood cells (5×108) and Brucella abortus (1×109) were injected intravenously. At 4 weeks of age, oral challenge infection with oocysts (1×105/chicken) of the same strain was performed. SCE-inoculated chickens with initial infection showed an enhancement in antibody responses against both antigens. Gross and histological examinations of SCE-inoculated chickens with initial infection showed lower lesion scores and less numbers of oocysts, schizonts and gamonts in the cecum than those of any other challenged chickens. Gain/day in body weight, and hemorrhages and oocyst number in feces were also improved by SCE and/or initial infection. Taken together, these results suggest that SCE has immunostimulating and protective effects in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella oocysts. (Associate Director, Department of Production Diseases TEL +81-298-38-7780)

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