Ameliorative Effect of Neem Leaf and Pomegranate Peel Extracts in Coccidial Infections in New Zealand and V-Line Rabbits: Performance, Intestinal Health, Oocyst Shedding, Carcass Traits, and Effect on Economic Measures

Liza S. Mohammed; Eman A. Sallam; Sawsan S. El basuni; Amany S. Eldiarby; Mohamed Mohamed Soliman; Salama Mostafa Aboelenin; Seham F. Shehata

doi:10.3390/ani11082441

Animals (Aug 2021)

Ameliorative Effect of Neem Leaf and Pomegranate Peel Extracts in Coccidial Infections in New Zealand and V-Line Rabbits: Performance, Intestinal Health, Oocyst Shedding, Carcass Traits, and Effect on Economic Measures

Liza S. Mohammed,
Eman A. Sallam,
Sawsan S. El basuni,
Amany S. Eldiarby,
Mohamed Mohamed Soliman,
Salama Mostafa Aboelenin,
Seham F. Shehata

Affiliations

Liza S. Mohammed: Veterinary Economics and Farm Management, Department of Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Eman A. Sallam: Animal and Poultry Production, Department of Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Sawsan S. El basuni: Avian and Rabbit Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Amany S. Eldiarby: Parasitology Department, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Mohamed Mohamed Soliman: Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department, Turabah University College, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Salama Mostafa Aboelenin: Biology Department, Turabah University College, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Seham F. Shehata: Veterinary Economics and Farm Management, Department of Animal Wealth Development, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082441
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 8
p. 2441

Abstract

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Healthy, weaned, coccidial-free male rabbits from two breeds (New Zealand white (NZ) and V-line (VL)) were divided into 10 equal groups (5 groups each for NZ and VL) (3 replicates/group, 6 rabbits/replicate, 18 rabbits/group). All rabbits were inoculated with 5 × 104 Eimeria spp. oocysts (E. intestinalis (67%), E. magna (22%), and E. media (11%)) except for the rabbits in the first group (G1), which were inoculated with a sterile solution and served as a negative control. The remaining four groups were treated as follows: G2, no treatment/positive control, G3, treated with neem leaf extract, G4, treated with pomegranate peel extract (PPE), and G5, treated with a combination of neem leaf extract and PPE. For both breeds, our results showed that the use of neem leaf and/or pomegranate peel extract resulted in improved growth performance, with a significant improvement in relative feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the positive control groups, which recorded the worst values, as well as a significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in mean oocyst count compared to the positive control groups. We also observed downregulation of mRNA levels of IL-1βα, IL6, and TNF-α in the herbal treatment groups compared with the mRNA levels of these genes in the positive control groups. Herbal treatment with neem leaf and/or pomegranate peel extracts had positive effects on the NZ and VL rabbits experimentally infected with mixed Eimeria species, as evidenced by their healthy appearance, good appetite, no mortalities, an anticoccidial index > 120, and a significantly higher total return and net profit when compared to the positive control groups of both breeds. In NZ rabbits, the treatment with neem leaf extract alone (G3) or in combination with PPE (G5) recorded the most efficient economic anticoccidial activity.

Published in Animals

ISSN: 2076-2615 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture: Veterinary medicine; Science: Zoology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/

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