Abstract
The comparative anticoccidial effects of herbal products with a standard synthetic anticoccidial drug on the production performance, intestinal histology, and some blood biochemical parameters in broilers exposed to experimental coccidiosis was investigated. One-day-old broiler chicks (n=336) were randomly distributed into six groups. One group served as a control, the second was treated with the coccidial infection, the third was treated with synthetic anticoccidial drug (Elancoban), the fourth group was treated with an herbal product (Cozante), the fifth group of birds was treated with Norponin, and the sixth group was treated with Emanox. The results indicated that BWG, BW, FCR, and PEF decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the positive control. Body weight gain, BW, and PEF were significantly (P<0.01) high in Elancoban-treated birds. On day 25, lesion score was significantly (P<0.01) low in duodenum, jejunum, and ceca in Elancoban-treated birds control. On day 30, lesion score was significantly (P<0.05) low in Emanox-treated birds as compared with the positive control. Albumin concentration was significantly (P<0.01) low in Emanox while glucose concentration was significantly (P<0.01) high in all the treated groups compared with the positive control birds. The total antioxidant capacity was significantly (P<0.05) high in Emanox on day 15 and 30 as compared with the positive control. The results showed that birds exposed to the natural anticoccidial products showed improved villi and total antioxidant capacity. We concluded that herbal products performed better than the positive control group.