Determination of artemisinin in Artemisia sieberi and anticoccidial effects of the plant extract in broiler chickens

Effects of Artemisia absinthium on broiler chicken coccidiosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Coccidiosis is a recurring disease in broiler flocks that causes significant economic losses. This study aims to evaluate the effect of Artemisia absinthium on coccidiosis in broilers through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The article selection process included a search from the year 2000 to February 2021, with no restrictions on country or geographical region. Our objective was met by only six studies, which underwent systematic review. The meta-analysis was conducted using the metafor package in R via RStudio (version 1.1.383; RStudio, Inc.). The systematic review indicates that in vivo studies have shown the effectiveness of various plant extracts (essential oil and methanolic extract) when administered in food or drinking water on the considered parameters (oocyst shedding, bloody diarrhoea, mortality rate, weight gain, conversion index, lesion score). Furthermore, in vitro studies demonstrated a positive impact on oocyst count, LC50 (lethal concentration), sporulation rate (%), and sporulation inhibition rate (%). The meta-analysis of the four studies included in this analysis revealed that the inclusion of A. absinthium extract resulted in a significant reduction in oocyst shedding (SMD = -1.64, 95% CI: -2.72 to -0.55; P < 0.0001). However, the effectiveness of A. absinthium extract was not as significant as that of antibiotics (SMD = 0.57, 95% CI: -0.19 to 0.95; P = 0.0032). Various forms of administration and extracts of A. absinthium have demonstrated antiparasitic activity against Eimeria spp, making them suitable as natural anticoccidial agents.

Comparison of phytochemical properties and expressional profiling of artemisinin synthesis-related genes in various Artemisia species

The Artemisia genus belongs to the Asteraceae family and is used in the treatment of many different diseases such as hepatitis and cancer. So far, around 500 species of Artemisia have been found in different regions of the world. Artemisinin is one of the medicinal compounds found in Artemisia species. Hence, this medical feature encourages researchers to pay attention to various species of this genus to discover more genetic and phytochemical information. In the present study, five species of Artemisia including A. fragrans, A. annua, A. biennis, A. scoparia, and A. absinthium were compared to each other in terms of the artemisinin content and other phytochemical components. Moreover, the relative expression profiles of eight genes related to the accumulation and synthesis of artemisinin [including 4FPSF, DBR2, HMGR1, HMGR2, WIRKY, ADS, DXS, and SQS] were determined in investigated species. The result of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that the content of artemisinin in various species was in the order of A. fragrans > A. annua > A. biennis > A. scoparia > A. absinthium. Based on the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, 34, 26, 26, 24, and 20 phytochemical compounds were identified for A. scoparia, A. biennis, A. fragrans, A. absinthum, and A. annua species, respectively. Moreover, camphor (38.86%), β-thujone (68.42%), spathulenol (48.33%), β-farnesene (48.16%), and camphor (29.04%) were identified as the considerable compounds A. fragrans, A. absinthium, A. scoparia, A. biennis, and A. annua species, respectively. Considering the relative expression of the targeted genes, A. scoparia revealed higher expression for the 4FPSF gene. The highest relative expression of the DBR2, WIRKY, and SQS genes was found in A. absinthium species. Moreover, A. annua showed the highest expression of the ADS and DXS genes than the other species. In conclusion, our findings revealed that various species of Artemisia have interesting breeding potential for further investigation of different aspects such as medicinal properties and molecular studies.

Effects of medical plants on alleviating the effects of heat stress on chickens

Over the past decades, global climate change has led to a significant increase in the average ambient temperature causing heat stress (HS) waves. This increase has resulted in more frequent heat waves during the summer periods. HS can have detrimental effects on poultry, including growth retardation, imbalance in immune/antioxidant pathways, inflammation, intestinal dysfunction, and economic losses in the poultry industry. Therefore, it is crucial to find an effective, safe, applicable, and economically efficient method for reducing these negative influences. Medicinal plants (MPs) contain various bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Due to the biological activities of MPs, it could be used as promising thermotolerance agents in poultry diets during HS conditions. Nutritional supplementation with MPs has been shown to improve growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, and intestinal health in heat-exposed chickens. As a result, several types of herbs have been supplemented to mitigate the harmful effects of heat stress in chickens. Therefore, several types of herbs have been supplemented to mitigate the harmful effects of heat stress in chickens. This review aims to discuss the negative consequences of HS in poultry and explore the use of different traditional MPs to enhance the health status of chickens.

Anticoccidial effects of tannin-based herbal formulation (Artemisia annua, Quercus infectoria, and Allium sativum) against coccidiosis in broilers

Background

Avian coccidiosis is considered among the infectious disease of high cost in the poultry industry. Herbal extracts are safe and reliable substitute anticoccidial drugs for chemical feed additives as they do not sequel to drug resistance and tissue remnants.

Objective

The current study aimed to assess the anticoccidial effect of an herbal complex of 3 plants (Artemisia annua, Quercus infectoria, and Allium sativum) in broiler chickens compared to toltrazuril anticoccidial.

Methods

This experiment used one hundred twenty broiler chickens and divided them into four equally numbered groups. All the groups, except group (D), were experimentally infected with mixed Eimeria spp. (E. tenella, E. maxima, E. necatrix and E. brunetti) on day 14. Group (A) was treated with a herbal mixture, containing 75% Quercus infectoria with a minimum of 30% total tannin, 16% Artemisia annua with a minimum of 0.02% artemisinin, and 9% Allium sativum with a minimum of 0.4% total phenol contents. Group (B) was treated with toltrazuril. Group (C) did not have any treatment. Group (D) was healthy all the experiment period as a negative control group. During a 42-day breeding period, the study examined clinical signs, weight gains, feed conversion ratio, lesions scoring, casualties, and the number of oocysts in different bird groups.

Results

Group (D) showed the most significant weight gain, indicating the economic damage caused by coccidiosis. The best feed conversion ratio was observed in the unchallenged group, and coccidiosis negatively affected it in other groups. Clinical signs of dysentery, diarrhea, and lethargy were seen post-challenge but improved with treatment. Group (D) showed no losses; others had casualties and coccidiosis lesions. Lesion scores were lowest in the group (D), and the herbal mixture improved performance. The herbal mixture and toltrazuril reduced oocyst counts in feces earlier than the untreated group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the anticoccidial activity of the mentioned herbal complex recommends its use as an alternative anticoccidial agent to chemotherapeutic drugs for controlling coccidiosis.

Characterization and bioactivities of M. arvensis, V. officinalis and P. glabrum: In-silico modeling of V. officinalis as a potential drug source

In current study the pharmaceutically active herbs was used against coccidiosis, caused by a protozoan: Eimeria, lead to $ 3 billion loss annually. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of whole plants were applied in-vitro to assess sporulation inhibition (spi) assay and calculated the inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀). For in-vivo study 9 groups of 14 day old broiler chicks were infected with Eimeria tenella and three groups were treated different concentrations of methanolic extracts of Verbena officinalis and Polygonum glabrum post infection. The mean weight gain, oocyst count, diarrhea, biochemical tests, hematology, and histopathology of all groups were analyzed. The herbs were characterized by antioxidant assay, phytochemical screening, Fourier transmission and infrared (FT-IR), Ultra Violet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The GC-MS identified phyto-compounds of V. officinalis were docked with S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) synthetase. The in-vitro study revealed that V. officinalis and P. glabrum have minimum IC₅₀ of 0.14 and 12 mg/ml respectively. The in-vivo experiment showed that V. officinalis had significantly high anticoccidial potential with significant hematological profile like drug treated controls. The histology of treated chicks also showed recovery in the studied tissues. The antioxidant assay showed that V. officinalis have 4.19U/mg Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 33.96 µM/mg Glutathione (GSH) quantities. The chemical characterization confirmed the presence of large number of organic compounds, however Flavonoids found only in V. officinalis, which suggests the anticoccidial potential of V. officinalis because flavonoids as antagonist of thiamine (Prinzo, 1999), because it promotes the carbohydrate synthesis required. Strychane, 1-acetyl-20a-hydroxy-16-methylene has best binding of with target protein with lowest binding score (-6.4 Kcal/mol), suggests its anticoccidial potential in poultry.

Phytochemicals Identification and Bioactive Compounds Estimation of Artemisia Species Grown in Saudia Arabia

Artemisia species are very important medicinal plants, particularly in the Middle East and in developing countries. Their products have been used in traditional and medicine contemporary for the treating of infectious ulcers, gangrenous ulcers, inflammations, and malaria. Artemisinin derived from Artemisia species has been used as a drug in many countries for malaria disease treatment. Hence, this study aimed to identify and evaluate the bioactive compounds of three species of Artemisia (Artemisia judaica, Artemisia monosperma, and Artemisia sieberi) growing in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, several analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), UV-Visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with reference standards, were used. The GC-MS analysis of the artemisia species revealed many bioactive constituents associated with plant secondary metabolites; some of these identified phytochemical components have biological activity. A. Judaica showed the highest number of bioactive compounds, followed by A. sieberi and A. monosperma. Further, the total phenol, total flavonoid, total tannin, terpenoids, and TCA were estimated. Furthermore, biomolecules such gallic acid, tannin acid, quercetin, and artemisinin in different artemisia species were quantified using HPLC with the reference standard. The amount of artemisinin in the leaf extract of these species (A. sieberi, A. Judaica, and A. monosperma) was found to be about 3.01, 2.5, and 1.9 mg/g DW, respectively. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of the samples was estimated. The obtained results have shown that these species possessed high antioxidant activity, and the scavenging of the DPPH radical and hydrogen peroxide were found to be raised with the increase in the plant extract concentration. This reflects the number of bioactive compounds in these species. The findings of this research support and justify the utilization of Artemisia species in folk medicine in the Middle East.

A new insight in immunomodulatory impact of botanicals in treating avian coccidiosis

Avian coccidiosis is caused by genus Eimeria (E.) i.e. E. maxima, E. necatrix, E. tenella, E. acervulina, E. brunette and E. mitis and lead to three billion US dollar per year economic loss in poultry industry and reduces the growth performance of birds. To purge undesirable foreign agents, immune system produces a variety of molecules and cells that ultimately neutralize target particles in healthy organisms. However; when this particular system compromises, infection develops and the load of pathogens along with their virulence factors overcome both; innate and adaptive immune systems. Livestock and poultry sectors are important part of agriculture industry worldwide. Due to excessive use of chemotherapeutic agents, pathogens have developed resistance against these agents leading to the great economic losses. Numerous therapeutic approaches are in routine process for the treatment and prevention of various ailments but irrational use of antibiotics/chemicals has raised alarming concerns, like the development of drug resistant strains, residual effects in ultimate users and environmental pollution. These problems have led to the development of alternatives. In this regard, anticoccidial vaccine can be used as an alternative but due to high cost of production, plant derived biological response modifiers and antioxidants compounds are considered as a promising alternative. This review summarizes the immunotherapeutic effects of different compounds particularly with reference to avian coccidiosis.

Wild Egyptian medicinal plants show in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity and antimalarial activities

Background

Medicinal plants have been successfully used as an alternative source of drugs for the treatment of microbial diseases. Finding a novel treatment for malaria is still challenging, and various extracts from different wild desert plants have been reported to have multiple medicinal uses for human public health, this study evaluated the antimalarial efficacy of several Egyptian plant extracts.

Methods

We assessed the cytotoxic potential of 13 plant extracts and their abilities to inhibit the in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum (3D7), and to treat infection with non-lethal Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL in an in vivo malaria model in BALB/c mice.

Results

In vitro screening identified four promising candidates, Trichodesma africanum, Artemisia judaica, Cleome droserifolia, and Vachellia tortilis, with weak-to-moderate activity against P. falciparum erythrocytic blood stages with mean half-maximal inhibitory concentration 50 (IC₅₀) of 11.7 μg/ml, 20.0 μg/ml, 32.1 μg/ml, and 40.0 μg/ml, respectively. Their selectivity index values were 35.2, 15.8, 11.5, and 13.8, respectively. Among these four candidates, T. africanum crude extract exhibited the highest parasite suppression in a murine malaria model against P. yoelii.

Conclusion

Our study identified novel natural antimalarial agents of plant origin that have potential for development into therapeutics for treating malaria.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-022-03566-5.

Functional and Mechanistic Studies of Two Anti-coccidial Herbs, Bidens pilosa and Artemisia indica

Currently, antibiotics are commonly used to treat coccidiosis, a severe protozoal disease in chickens. However, due to growing concerns about the antibiotic residue in meat and eggs, phytogenic formulations are becoming an attractive approach to manage this disease. In this study, we investigated the anti-coccidial function and mechanism of phytogenic formulations composed of Bidens pilosa, Artemisia indica, and both used in combination. We found that these formulations increased the survival rate and reduced body weight loss, the feed conversion ratio, oocyst excretion, bloody stools, and gut lesions of chickens. Mechanistic studies showed that A. indica, but not B. pilosa, reduced the survival of Eimeria oocysts. Accordingly, they both inhibited oocyst sporulation and sporozoite invasion into Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. Overall, we demonstrate that these formulations protect chickens against coccidiosis. Moreover, a combination of B. pilosa and A. indica has an additive effect on coccidiosis control and growth performance in chickens compared to either one used alone.

Medicinal Plants for Prophylaxis and Therapy of Common Infectious Diseases In Poultry-A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies

Medicinal plants for prophylaxis and therapy of common infectious diseases in poultry have been studied for several years. The goal of this review was to systematically identify plant species and evaluate their potential in prophylaxis and therapy of common diseases in poultry caused by bacteria and gastrointestinal protozoa. The procedure followed the recommendations of the PRISMA statement and the AMSTAR measurement tool. The PICOS scheme was used to design the research questions. Two databases were consulted, and publications were manually selected, according to predefined in- and exclusion criteria. A scoring system was established to evaluate the remaining publications. Initially, 4197 identified publications were found, and 77 publications remained after manual sorting, including 38 publications with 70 experiments on bacterial infections and 39 publications with 78 experiments on gastrointestinal protozoa. In total, 83 plant species from 42 families were identified. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most frequently found families with Artemisia annua being the most frequently found plant, followed by Origanum vulgare. As compared to placebo and positive or negative control groups, antimicrobial effects were found in 46 experiments, prebiotic effects in 19 experiments, and antiprotozoal effects in 47 experiments. In summary, a total of 274 positive effects predominated over 241 zero effects and 37 negative effects. Data indicate that O. vulgare, Coriandrum sativum, A. annua, and Bidens pilosa are promising plant species for prophylaxis and therapy of bacterial and protozoal diseases in poultry.

S-Methylcysteine Ameliorates the Intestinal Damage Induced by Eimeria tenella Infection via Targeting Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Modulators

Avian coccidiosis is one of the major parasitic diseases in the poultry industry. The infection is caused by Eimeria species, and its treatment relies mainly on the administration of anticoccidial drugs, which can result in drug resistance and side effects. The recent trends in avian coccidiosis treatment is directed to the development of a new therapy using herbal compounds. S-Methylcysteine (SMC) is considered one of the organosulfur compounds in garlic that showed promising activity in the treatment of different pathological conditions via a wide range of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. In this study, the anticoccidial activity of SMC was investigated in Eimeria tenella-infected chickens compared to diclazuril as a widely used anticoccidial drug. In this regard, 14-day-old broilers were divided into six groups (n = 18). The first group (G1) was the healthy control group, while the second group (G2) was the non-infected SMC group treated at a dose of 50 mg/kg b.w. (high dose). Moreover, the third group (G3) was the positive control group (infected and non-treated). The fourth group (G4) was the infected group treated with SMC of 25 mg/kg b.w. (low dose), while the fifth group (G5) was the infected group treated with SMC of 50 mg/kg b.w. (high dose). Conversely, the sixth group (G6) was the diclazuril-treated group. The anticoccidial effects of SMC and diclazuril were evaluated by counting oocysts and recording the body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, clinical signs, lesions, and mortality rate. Interestingly, SMC showed potent anticoccidial activity, which was exemplified by reduction of oocyst count. Furthermore, the biochemical, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory parameters in the cecal tissues were restored toward their control levels in G4, G5, and G6. Histopathological observation of cecal tissues was consistent with the aforementioned results revealing the ameliorative effect of SMC against E. tenella infection. This study concluded novel findings in relation to the anticoccidial role of SMC as a plant-based compound against the E. tenella-induced coccidiosis in broiler chickens combined with its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Further studies for exploring the mechanistic pathways involved in this activity and the potential benefits from its use in association with conventional anticoccidial drugs are warranted.

Comparison of the effects of herbal compounds and chemical drugs for control of coccidiosis in broiler chickens

Coccidiosis is the most important intestinal parasitic disease of broiler chickens in poultry industry. Because of the increasing resistance to anticoccidial agents and presence of their residues in meat and eggs, it is necessary to find safe and new anticoccidial compounds. This study was conducted to compare the effects of two herbal compounds, including Artemisia sieberi and Curcuma longa, and their mix with a chemical anticoccidial drug on broilers’ performance during a mixed coccidian challenge. A total of 216, one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into six groups. Different herbal extracts and one chemical anticoccidial agent were used in each group. Five groups were infected with a mixture of Eimeria sporulated oocysts at the age of 21 days with crop gavage. Body weight and feed intake were measured then feed conversion ratio was calculated on a weekly basis. Mortality was recorded when occurred throughout the experimental period. Oocysts excretions and lesion scores were investigated weekly up to three weeks after infection. Eimeria-challenged birds had a reduction in growth parameters compared to the uninfected birds (P<0.001); the best performance values were recorded for the groups treated with a mix of two herbal extracts and amprolium ethopabate (P<0.05). The groups treated with herbal extracts had a significantly reduced oocyst excretion per gram of faeces compared to the positive control group. Lesion score of the amprolium ethopabate group was better than those of the other groups. As a conclusion, herbal extracts, especially a mix of them, could be effective in controlling coccidiosis and its complications.

Dietary use of Artemisia herba alba Asso as a potential coccidiostat against cæcal coccidiosis: haematological parameter variations

This study consists of the evaluation of the anticoccidial effect of Artemisia herba-alba Asso during experimental coccidial infection. Four groups of 30 broiler chickens were formed: the negative control (G1), the positive control (G2), the infected Monensin-treated group (G3), and the infected Artemisia-treated group (G4). Each infected bird received orally 10⁵ sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella. No mortality was recorded in both G1 and G4. Haematocrit levels showed great variations from the 7th day post-infection, especially in G2 (20.87% ± 5.77). By day 10 P-I, haematocrit recovery was rapid particularly in G4 (28.07% ± 1.50). Haemoglobin concentration also decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in all infected groups by the 7th day P-I. The reduction was very marked, but not statistically significant, in G2 (6.47 g/dL ± 1.67) against (10.53 g/dL ± 0.25) in G1. It was less marked in G4 (8.05 g/dL ± 1.56). Results show the protective effect of A. herba-alba Asso by improving the lesion score and the haematological parameters affected during coccidian infection.

Effective Inhibition of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis by Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized with Artemisia sieberi Leaf Extract

Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common fungal pathogens that can cause a diversity of diseases ranging from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and aspergilloma to allergic syndromes. In this study, we investigated the antifungal effect of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized with Artemisia sieberi leaf extract (AS-AgNPs) against A. fumigatus in vitro and in vivo. The biosynthesized AS-AgNPs were characterized by imaging (transmission electron microscopy (TEM)), UV−VIS spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The microdilution method showed the antifungal activity of AS-AgNPs against A. fumigatus, with an MIC of 128 µg/mL. AS-AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of hyphae in all directions, as imaged by SEM. Additionally, TEM on biofilm revealed invaginations of the cell membrane, a change in the vacuolar system, and the presence of multilamellar bodies within vacuoles. Interestingly, AS-AgNPs displayed low cytotoxicity on the A549 human lung cell line in vitro. Treatment of an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) mouse model with AS-AgNPs demonstrated the potency of AS-AgNPs to significantly reduce lung tissue damage and to suppress the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and interleukin-17 (IL-17). The therapeutic potential of AS-AgNPs was found to be due to their direct action to suppress the fungal burden and gliotoxin production in the lungs. In addition, AS-AgNPs reduced the oxidative stress in the lungs by increasing the enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Thus, our data indicate the biosynthesized AS-AgNPs as a novel antifungal alternative treatment against aspergillosis.

Effect of Pistacia lentiscus L. Vegetable Oil on Growth Performance and Coccidiosis in Broiler Chickens: In vitro and In vivo Assessment

This study aims to assess the ability of vegetable oil of Pistacia lentiscus L. (lentiscus oil) in stimulating growth performance of broiler chickens and protecting them against coccidiosis. For this purpose, an in vitro test was first carried out to evaluate the destructive effect of this oil on Eimeria spp oocysts. On the other hand, an in vivo study was carried out to evaluate, once again, the capacity of the vegetable oil of Pistacia lentiscus L. in stimulating broilers growth performance and reducing the coccidiosis clinical signs. Thus, day old chicks were randomly divided into four equal groups: (1) uninfected and not-supplemented control (NI NS); (2) uninfected and supplemented (NI S); (3) infected and not supplemented (I NS); (4) infected and supplemented (IS). Each group was divided into three replicates containing each of them two subjects. The experimental groups (2 and 4) are supplemented with lentiscus oil by force-feeding at the rate of 1 mL per day from the 18th day until the end of the experiment. The chicks of the third and the fourth group are inoculated orally with sporulated oocysts (6.5 × 105 oocysts of Eimeria spp) on the day 20 of age. The results showed that lentiscus oil has an anticoccidial dose-dependent effect as shown by oocysts counting and released substances measurement at 273 nm. The growth performance of the (NI S) group was found better with an improvement percentage of 9.14% compared to the control (p < 0.05). Likewise, the weight gain of the (I S) group seems slightly higher than that of the control one (1316 g and 1235 g, respectively) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the vegetable oil of Pistacia lentiscus L. has shown, not only, a promising growth effect in broiler chickens, but also, it seems to have a protective effect against coccidiosis sequels caused by Eimeria acervulina infection.

Phytochemistry and pharmacological activity of the genus artemisia

Artemisia and its allied species have been employed for conventional medicine in the Northern temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia for the treatments of digestive problems, morning sickness, irregular menstrual cycle, typhoid, epilepsy, renal problems, bronchitis malaria, etc. The multidisciplinary use of artemisia species has various other health benefits that are related to its traditional and modern pharmaceutical perspectives. The main objective of this review is to evaluate the traditional, modern, biological as well as pharmacological use of the essential oil and herbal extracts of Artemisia nilagirica, Artemisia parviflora, and other allied species of Artemisia. It also discusses the botanical circulation and its phytochemical constituents viz disaccharides, polysaccharides, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, and carotenoids. The plants have different biological importance like antiparasitic, antimalarial, antihyperlipidemic, antiasthmatic, antiepileptic, antitubercular, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, antiemetic, antidepressant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, insecticidal, antiviral activities, and also against COVID-19. Toxicological studies showed that the plants at a low dose and short duration are non or low-toxic. In contrast, a high dose at 3 g/kg and for a longer duration can cause toxicity like rapid respiration, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, etc. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the medicinal uses, clinical efficacy and safety are crucial next steps.

The anticoccidial activity of the fluoroquinolone lomefloxacin against experimental Eimeria tenella infection in broiler chickens

Coccidiosis is a crucial parasitic disease of the poultry industry. As a result of the enormous global economic losses and the increased resistance to the conventional anticoccidial agents, there is a continuous need to find new anticoccidials. Here, the anticoccidial effect of the fluoroquinolone lomefloxacin versus diclazuril in experimentally infected broilers was tested for the treatment of Eimeria tenella infection. Ninety 14-day-old Cobb strain broiler chickens were allocated into five groups, each with 18 chicks. Group 1 (G1) was separated as an uninfected negative control and received no treatment; group 2 (G2), infected untreated (positive control); group 3 (G3), infected and treated with lomefloxacin at a dose rate of 100 ppm in drinking water; group 4 (G4), infected and treated with diclazuril at a dose rate of 2.5 ppm in drinking water; group 5 (G5), infected and treated with lomefloxacin at a dose rate of 100 ppm plus diclazuril at dose rate of 2.5 ppm in drinking water. Clinical signs, mortality rates, number of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG), growth performance parameters (weight gain: WG and feed conversion ratio: FCR), lesion scoring, haematological and serum biochemical analyses, antioxidant biomarkers and histopathologic inspection of the caeca were used as evaluation criteria for the anticoccidial efficacy of both lomefloxacin and diclazuril. The findings herein showed that administration of lomefloxacin and/or diclazuril improved growth performance parameters (WG, FCR) and significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced OPG, and diminished the severity of bloody diarrhoea and mortalities. Additionally, haematological indices and serum biochemical parameters such as ALT, AST, ALP, creatinine, uric acid, total proteins, albumin and globulin were improved. Finally, a significant elevation in the levels of the antioxidant biomarkers was observed in the chicks of G3, G4 and G5 as compared with those of G2.

Assessment of Artemisinin Contents in Selected Artemisia Species from Tajikistan (Central Asia)

Background: Central Asia is the center of origin and diversification of the Artemisia genus. The genus Artemisia is known to possess a rich phytochemical diversity. Artemisinin is the shining example of a phytochemical isolated from Artemisia annua, which is widely used in the treatment of malaria. There is great interest in the discovery of alternative sources of artemisinin in other Artemisia species. Methods: The hexane extracts of Artemisia plants were prepared with ultrasound-assisted extraction procedures. Silica gel was used as an adsorbent for the purification of Artemisia annua extract. High-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection was performed for the quantification of underivatized artemisinin from hexane extracts of plants. Results: Artemisinin was found in seven Artemisia species collected from Tajikistan. Content of artemisinin ranged between 0.07% and 0.45% based on dry mass of Artemisia species samples. Conclusions: The artemisinin contents were observed in seven Artemisia species. A. vachanica was found to be a novel plant source of artemisinin. Purification of A. annua hexane extract using silica gel as adsorbent resulted in enrichment of artemisinin.

A phylogenetic road map to antimalarial Artemisia species

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The discovery of the antimalarial agent artemisinin is considered one of the most significant success stories of ethnopharmacological research in recent times. The isolation of artemisinin was inspired by the use of Artemisia annua in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2015. Antimalarial activity has since been demonstrated for a range of other Artemisia species, suggesting that the genus could provide alternative sources of antimalarial treatments. Given the stunning diversity of the genus (c. 500 species), a prioritisation of taxa to be investigated for their likely antimalarial properties is required.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Here we use a phylogenetic approach to explore the potential for identifying species more likely to possess antimalarial properties. Ethnobotanical data from literature reports is recorded for 117 species. Subsequent phylogenetically informed analysis was used to identify lineages in which there is an overrepresentation of species used to treat malarial symptoms, and which could therefore be high priority for further investigation of antimalarial activity.

RESULTS

We show that these lineages indeed include several species with documented antimalarial activity. To further inform our approach, we use LC-MS/MS analysis to explore artemisinin content in fifteen species from both highlighted and not highlighted lineages. We detected artemisinin in nine species, in eight of them for the first time, doubling the number of Artemisia taxa known to content this molecule.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that artemisinin may be widespread across the genus, providing an accessible local resource outside the distribution area of Artemisia annua.

Expression of key genes affecting artemisinin content in five Artemisia species

Artemisinin, an effective anti-malarial drug is synthesized in the specialized 10-celled biseriate glandular trichomes of some Artemisia species. In order to have an insight into artemisinin biosynthesis in species other than A. annua, five species with different artemisinin contents were investigated for the expression of key genes that influence artemisinin content. The least relative expression of the examined terpene synthase genes accompanied with very low glandular trichome density (4 No. mm⁻²) and absence of artemisinin content in A. khorassanica (S2) underscored the vast metabolic capacity of glandular trichomes. A. deserti (S4) with artemisinin content of 5.13 mg g⁻¹ DW had a very high expression of Aa-ALDH1 and Aa-CYP71AV1 and low expression of Aa-DBR2. It is possible to develop plants with high artemisinin synthesis ability by downregulating Aa-ORA in S4, which may result in the reduction of Aa-ALDH1 and Aa-CYP71AV1 genes expression and effectively change the metabolic flux to favor more of artemisinin production than artemisinic acid. Based on the results, the Aa-ABCG6 transporter may be involved in trichome development. S4 had high transcript levels and larger glandular trichomes (3.46 fold) than A. annua found in Iran (S1), which may be due to the presence of more 2C-DNA (3.48 fold) in S4 than S1.

Assessment of Iranian endemic Artemisia khorassanica: karyological, genome size, and gene expressions involved in artemisinin production

The species of Artemisia, one of the largest genera of the family Asteraceae, are frequently utilized for the treatment of diseases such as malaria, hepatitis, cancer, inflammation, and infections by fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Karyological studies were performed on 18 Artemisia khorassanica populations: eleven were diploid (2n = 18) and seven were tetraploid (2n = 36). The mean chromosome lengths were 3.61 and 3.84 µm for diploids and tetraploids, respectively. Two chromosome types ("m", "sm") formed karyotype formulas "18m" for diploids and "36m" and "34m + 2sm" for tetraploids. The mean 2C DNA contents were 5.91 and 11.53 pg in diploids and tetraploids, respectively. The transcription levels of key genes involved in artemisinin production were compared in diploid (B, D, H) and tetraploid (O, P, R) A. khorassanica relative to A. annua as a standard species. No artemisinin content was detected in diploid and tetraploid A. khorassanica populations. No significant diefrences were detected between diploids and tetraploids in terms of DXR , HMGR, FDS, and ADS gene expression. This implies that most of the genomic amplification likely occurs in the amount of repetitive DNA and not in unique sequences. The DBR2 gene was expressed in the diploid A. khorassanica in a low amount but silenced in the autotetraploid A. khorassanica.

Identification and characterization of a novel sesquiterpene synthase, 4-amorphen-11-ol synthase, from Artemisia maritima

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone exhibiting effective antimalarial activity, is produced by only Artemisia annua plant. A key step in artemisinin biosynthesis is the cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to amorpha-4,11-diene catalyzed by amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (AaADS). Intriguingly, several non-artemisinin-producing Artemisia plants also express genes highly homologous to AaADS. Our previous functional analysis of these homologous enzymes revealed that they catalyzed the synthesis of rare natural sesquiterpenoids. In this study, we analyzed the function of another putative sesquiterpene synthase highly homologous to AaADS from A. maritima. Unlike AaADS, in vivo enzymatic assay showed that this enzyme cyclized FPP to 4-amorphen-11-ol, a precursor of several gastroprotective agents. The discovery of 4-amorphen-11-ol synthase (AmAOS) and the successful de novo production of 4-amorphen-11-ol in engineered yeast demonstrated herein provides insights into the methods used to enhance its production for future application.

Production of Plant Secondary Metabolites: Examples, Tips and Suggestions for Biotechnologists

Plants are sessile organisms and, in order to defend themselves against exogenous (a)biotic constraints, they synthesize an array of secondary metabolites which have important physiological and ecological effects. Plant secondary metabolites can be classified into four major classes: terpenoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids and sulphur-containing compounds. These phytochemicals can be antimicrobial, act as attractants/repellents, or as deterrents against herbivores. The synthesis of such a rich variety of phytochemicals is also observed in undifferentiated plant cells under laboratory conditions and can be further induced with elicitors or by feeding precursors. In this review, we discuss the recent literature on the production of representatives of three plant secondary metabolite classes: artemisinin (a sesquiterpene), lignans (phenolic compounds) and caffeine (an alkaloid). Their respective production in well-known plants, i.e., Artemisia, Coffea arabica L., as well as neglected species, like the fibre-producing plant Urtica dioica L., will be surveyed. The production of artemisinin and caffeine in heterologous hosts will also be discussed. Additionally, metabolic engineering strategies to increase the bioactivity and stability of plant secondary metabolites will be surveyed, by focusing on glycosyltransferases (GTs). We end our review by proposing strategies to enhance the production of plant secondary metabolites in cell cultures by inducing cell wall modifications with chemicals/drugs, or with altered concentrations of the micronutrient boron and the quasi-essential element silicon.

Artemisinin and Artemisia annua leaves alleviate Eimeria tenella infection by facilitating apoptosis of host cells and suppressing inflammatory response

Evasion strategies of intracellular parasites by hijacking cellular pathways, are necessary to ensure successful survival and replication. Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) has the ability to circumvent apoptosis of infected cells through increased expression of the transcriptional factor NF-κB and the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-x_L during the development of second generation schizonts. Artemisinin (ART) and its original plant, the dried leaves of Artemisia annua (LAA) have been shown to be effective against avian coccidiosis, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We showed that E. tenella infection promoted the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and inhibited the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved caspase-3 at 60 h post infection (PI), with a higher ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax. Nevertheless, the expression trends of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 were reversed at 120 h and 192 h PI. ART treatment significantly abrogated Bcl-2 expression, whereas it promoted the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 at the three time points above. Additionally, ART remarkably suppressed the increased mRNA expressions of NF-κB and interleukin-17A in ceca during infection by E. tenella. Compared with the ART treatment, LAA treatment exerted more improvements in clinical symptoms, promoting apoptosis and suppressing inflammatory response. These alterations caused by ART and LAA treatments were consistent with the reduced clinical diarrhea and pathological improvements in chicken ceca. Collectively, these results indicate that the inhibitory effects of ART or LAA on E. tenella infection may work through facilitating the apoptosis of infected host cells and inhibiting the inflammatory response.

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Artemisia sieberiand Calotropis procera Medical Plant Extracts and their Characterization using SEM Analysis

ABSTRACT: The synthesis, characterization and application of biologically synthesized nanomaterials have become important research areas in nanotechnology, and the green synthesis of nanoparticles using plants is being increasingly studied largely because this approach is considered to lack the problems associated with conventional synthesis. Here we report the synthesis and characterization (using a scanning electron microscope) of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) obtained using extracts of leaves of the medicinal plants, Artemisia sieberi and Calotropis procera. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed the characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles which were confirmed by analyzing the excitation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) using UV–vis spectrophotometer at 482 nm. SEM analysis of the synthesized Ag NPs clearly showed that the particles were predominantly spherical in shape, mostly aggregated and having a size around 8–20 nm. Finally, we consider that the nanoparticles synthesized in this study have potential for wide application in nanotechnology and nanomedicine.

Study of artemisinin and sugar accumulation in Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia dracunculus "hairy" root cultures

We studied the effect of genetic transformation on biologically active compound (artemisinin and its co-products (ART) as well as sugars) accumulation in Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia dracunculus "hairy" root cultures. Glucose, fructose, sucrose, and mannitol were accumulated in A. vulgaris and A. dracunculus "hairy" root lines. Genetic transformation has led in some cases to the sugar content increasing or appearing of nonrelevant for the control plant carbohydrates. Sucrose content was 1.6 times higher in A. vulgaris "hairy" root lines. Fructose content was found to be 3.4 times higher in A. dracunculus "hairy" root cultures than in the control roots. The accumulation of mannitol was a special feature of the leaves of A. vulgaris and A. dracunculus control roots. A. vulgaris "hairy" root lines differed also in ART accumulation level. The increase of ART content up to 1.02 mg/g DW in comparison with the nontransformed roots (up to 0.687 mg/g DW) was observed. Thus, Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetic transformation can be used for obtaining of A. vulgaris and A. dracunculus "hairy" root culture produced ART and sugars in a higher amount than mother plants.

Artemisia sieberi Besser essential oil and treatment of fungal infections

A. sieberi essential oil has been used for treatment of hardly curable infectious ulcers in Middle East Medicine and has been famous due to its wormicide effects. In this review, we evaluated the potency of A. sieberi essential oil in treatment of fungal infections. We searched in PubMed Central, Science direct, Wiley, Springer, SID, and accessible books, reports, thesis. There is a lot of mixed information on chemical compositions of A. sieberi essential oil, but most articles reported α, β-thujones as the main components of essential oils. In vitro studies confirmed the antifungal activity of A. sieberi essential oil against saprophytes fungi, dermatophytes, Malassezia sp. and Candida sp. and these results were confirmed in six clinical studies. The clinical studies confirmed the superiority of A. sieberi essential oil (5%) lotion in improvement of clinical signs of fungal superficial diseases, and mycological laboratory examinations of dermatophytosis and pityriasis versicolor diseases than clotrimazole (1%) topical treatment. The recurrence rate of superficial fungal infections with dermatophytosis and pityriasis versicolor was statistically lower in A. sieberi essential oil (5%) lotion than clotrimazole. There are no adverse effects due to the application of A. sieberi essential oil in clinical studies. Despite, the efficacy of A. sieberi essential oil against Candida sp., there is no clinical study about their related infections. Investigation about the effects of A. sieberi essential oil on fungal virulence factors in order to identifying the exact mechanism of antifungal activity and clinical trials on Candida related diseases are recommended.

Strategies to enhance biologically active-secondary metabolites in cell cultures of Artemisia - current trends

The genus Artemisia has been utilized worldwide due to its immense potential for protection against various diseases, especially malaria. Artemisia absinthium, previously renowned for its utilization in the popular beverage absinthe, is gaining resurgence due to its extensive pharmacological activities. Like A. annua, this species exhibits strong biological activities like antimalarial, anticancer and antioxidant. Although artemisinin was found to be the major metabolite for its antimalarial effects, several flavonoids and terpenoids are considered to possess biological activities when used alone and also to synergistically boost the bioavailability of artemisinin. However, due to the limited quantities of these metabolites in wild plants, in vitro cultures were established and strategies have been adopted to enhance medicinally important secondary metabolites in these cultures. This review elaborates on the traditional medicinal uses of Artemisia species and explains current trends to establish cell cultures of A. annua and A. absinthium for enhanced production of medicinally important secondary metabolites.

Ethnomedicines and anti-parasitic activities of Pakistani medicinal plants against Plasmodia and Leishmania parasites

BACKGROUND

Leishmaniasis and malaria are the two most common parasitic diseases and responsible for large number of deaths per year particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. Majority of Pakistan population rely on medicinal plants due to their low socio-economic status. The present review was designed to gather utmost fragmented published data on traditionally used medicinal plants against leishmaniasis and malaria in Pakistan and their scientific validation.

METHODS

Pub Med, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ISI Web of knowledge and Flora of Pakistan were searched for the collection of data on ethnomedicinal plants. Total 89 articles were reviewed for present study which was mostly published in English. We selected only those articles in which complete information was given regarding traditional uses of medicinal plants in Pakistan.

RESULTS

Total of 56 plants (malaria 33, leishmaniasis 23) was found to be used traditionally against reported parasites. Leaves were the most focused plant part both in traditional use and in in vitro screening against both parasites. Most extensively used plant families against Leishmaniasis and Malaria were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae respectively. Out of 56 documented plants only 15 plants (Plasmodia 4, Leishmania 11) were assessed in vitro against these parasites. Mostly crude and ethanolic plant extracts were checked against Leishmania and Plasmodia respectively and showed good inhibition zone. Four pure compounds like artemisinin, physalins and sitosterol extracted from different plants proved their efficacy against these parasites.

CONCLUSIONS

Present review provides the efficacy and reliability of ethnomedicinal practices and also invites the attention of chemists, pharmacologist and pharmacist to scientifically validate unexplored plants that could lead toward the development of novel anti-malarial and anti-leishmanial drugs.

Artemisinin-based antimalarial research: application of biotechnology to the production of artemisinin, its mode of action, and the mechanism of resistance of Plasmodium parasites

Malaria is a worldwide disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. A sesquiterpene endoperoxide artemisinin isolated from Artemisia annua was discovered and has been accepted for its use in artemisinin-based combinatorial therapies, as the most effective current antimalarial treatment. However, the quantity of this compound produced from the A. annua plant is very low, and the availability of artemisinin is insufficient to treat all infected patients. In addition, the emergence of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium has been reported recently. Several techniques have been applied to enhance artemisinin availability, and studies related to its mode of action and the mechanism of resistance of malaria-causing parasites are ongoing. In this review, we summarize the application of modern technologies to improve the production of artemisinin, including our ongoing research on artemisinin biosynthetic genes in other Artemisia species. The current understanding of the mode of action of artemisinin as well as the mechanism of resistance against this compound in Plasmodium parasites is also presented. Finally, the current situation of malaria infection and the future direction of antimalarial drug development are discussed.

Cellular engineering of Artemisia annua and Artemisia dubia with the rol ABC genes for enhanced production of potent anti-malarial drug artemisinin

BACKGROUND

Malaria is causing more than half of a million deaths and 214 million clinical cases annually. Despite tremendous efforts for the control of malaria, the global morbidity and mortality have not been significantly changed in the last 50 years. Artemisinin, extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia sp. is an effective anti-malarial drug. In 2015, elucidation of the effectiveness of artemisinin as a potent anti-malarial drug was acknowledged with a Nobel prize. Owing to the tight market and low yield of artemisinin, an economical way to increase its production is to increase its content in Artemisia sp. through different biotechnological approaches including genetic transformation.

METHODS

Artemisia annua and Artemisia dubia were transformed with rol ABC genes through Agrobacterium tumefacienes and Agrobacterium rhizogenes methods. The artemisinin content was analysed and compared between transformed and untransformed plants with the help of LC-MS/MS. Expression of key genes [Cytochrome P450 (CYP71AV1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), amorpha-4, 11 diene synthase (ADS)] in the biosynthetic pathway of artemisinin and gene for trichome development and sesquiterpenoid biosynthetic (TFAR1) were measured using Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Trichome density was analysed using confocal microscope.

RESULTS

Artemisinin content was significantly increased in transformed material of both Artemisia species when compared to un-transformed plants. The artemisinin content within leaves of transformed lines was increased by a factor of nine, indicating that the plant is capable of synthesizing much higher amounts than has been achieved so far through traditional breeding. Expression of all artemisinin biosynthesis genes was significantly increased, although variation between the genes was observed. CYP71AV1 and ALDH1 expression levels were higher than that of ADS. Levels of the TFAR1 expression were also increased in all transgenic lines. Trichome density was also significantly increased in the leaves of transformed plants, but no trichomes were found in control roots or transformed roots. The detection of significantly raised levels of expression of the genes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis in transformed roots correlated with the production of significant amounts of artemisinin in these tissues. This suggests that synthesis is occurring in tissues other than the trichomes, which contradicts previous theories.

CONCLUSION

Transformation of Artemisia sp. with rol ABC genes can lead to the increased production of artemisinin, which will help to meet the increasing demand of artemisinin because of its diverse pharmacological and anti-malarial importance.

Control of avian coccidiosis: future and present natural alternatives

Numerous efforts to date have been implemented in the control of avian coccidiosis caused by the Eimeria parasite. Since the appearance of anticoccidial chemical compounds, the search for new alternatives continues. Today, no product is available to cope with the disease; however, the number of products commercially available is constantly increasing. In this review, we focus on natural products and their anticoccidial activity. This group comprises fatty acids, antioxidants, fungal and herbal extracts, and immune response modulators with proven anticoccidial activity, many of which exist as dietary supplements. Additionally, we offer an overview of the poultry industry and the economic cost of coccidiosis as well as the classical strategies used to control the disease.

Sesquiterpene Lactones from Artemisia Genus: Biological Activities and Methods of Analysis

Sesquiterpene lactones are a large group of natural compounds, found primarily in plants of Asteraceae family, with over 5000 structures reported to date. Within this family, genus Artemisia is very well represented, having approximately 500 species characterized by the presence of eudesmanolides and guaianolides, especially highly oxygenated ones, and rarely of germacranolides. Sesquiterpene lactones exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiulcer, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, and insect deterrent. Many of the biological activities are attributed to the α-methylene-γ-lactone group in their molecule which reacts through a Michael-addition with free sulfhydryl or amino groups in proteins and alkylates them. Due to the fact that most sesquiterpene lactones are thermolabile, less volatile compounds, they present no specific chromophores in the molecule and are sensitive to acidic and basic mediums, and their identification and quantification represent a difficult task for the analyst. Another problematic aspect is represented by the complexity of vegetal samples, which may contain compounds that can interfere with the analysis. Therefore, this paper proposes an overview of the methods used for the identification and quantification of sesquiterpene lactones found in Artemisia genus, as well as the optimal conditions for their extraction and separation.

Extraction of Artemisinin, an Active Antimalarial Phytopharmaceutical from Dried Leaves of Artemisia annua L., Using Microwaves and a Validated HPTLC-Visible Method for Its Quantitative Determination

A simple, rapid, precise, and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method coupled with visible densitometric detection of artemisinin is developed and validated. Samples of the dried Artemisia annua leaves were extracted via microwaves using different solvents. This method shows the advantage of shorter extraction time of artemisinin from leaves under the influence of electromagnetic radiations. Results obtained from microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were compared with hot soxhlet extraction. Chromatographic separation of artemisinin from plant extract was performed over silica gel 60 F254 HPTLC plate using n-hexane : ethyl acetate as mobile phase in the ratio of 75 : 25, v/v. The plate was developed at room temperature 25 ± 2.0°C. Artemisinin separation over thin-layer plate was visualized after postchromatographic derivatization with anisaldehyde-sulphuric acid reagent. HPTLC plate was scanned in a CAMAG’s TLC scanner 3 at 540 nm. Artemisinin responses were found to be linear over a range of 400–2800 ng spot−1 with a correlation coefficient 0.99754. Limits of detection and quantification were 40 and 80 ng spot−1, respectively. The HPTLC method was validated in terms of system suitability, precision, accuracy, sensitivity (LOD and LOQ), and robustness. Additionally, calculation of plate efficiency and flow constant were included as components of validation. Extracts prepared from different parts of the plant (leaves, branches, main stem, and roots) were analyzed for artemisinin content, in which, artemisinin content was found higher in the leaf extract with respect to branches and main stem extracts; however, no artemisinin was detected in root extract. The developed HPTLC-visible method of artemisinin determination will be very useful for pharmaceutical industries, which are involved in monitoring of artemisinin content during different growth stages (in vitro and in vivo) of A. annua for qualitative and quantitative assessment of final produce prior to commercial-scale processing for assessment of cost-benefit ratio.

An update on approaches to controlling coccidia in poultry using botanical extracts

1. This paper reviews the use of botanical extracts in the control of coccidial infection in poultry. 2. Some plants and their respective volatile oils and extracts have the potential to alleviate coccidiosis and reduce its severity. 3. Most plant bioactives improve some, but not all, aspects of coccidiosis with variable effectiveness against different species of Eimeria. 4. Difficulties in comparing research findings have arisen from the use of different experimental models, different active components and infectious dose of Eimeria. 5. Current knowledge of their potential anti-coccidial effects may provide guidance for the use of botanical extracts in the control of the coccidiosis.

Effects of Artemisia annua and Foeniculum vulgare on chickens highly infected with Eimeria tenella (phylum Apicomplexa)

Background

Intensive poultry production systems depend on chemoprophylaxis with anticoccidial drugs to combat infection. A floor-pen study was conducted to evaluate the anticoccidial effect of Artemisia annua and Foeniculum vulgare on Eimeria tenella infection. Five experimental groups were established: negative control (untreated, unchallenged); positive control (untreated, challenged); a group medicated with 125 ppm lasalocid and challenged; a group medicated with A. annua leaf powder at 1.5% in feed and challenged; and a group treated with the mixed oils of A. annua and Foeniculum vulgare in equal parts, 7.5% in water and challenged. The effects of A. annua and oil extract of A. annua + F. vulgare on E. tenella infection were assessed by clinical signs, mortality, fecal oocyst output, faeces, lesion score, weight gain, and feed conversion.

Results

Clinical signs were noticed only in three chickens from the lasalocid group, six from the A. annua group, and nine from the A. annua + F. vulgare group, but were present in 19 infected chickens from the positive control group. Bloody diarrhea was registered in only two chickens from A. annua group, but in 17 chickens from the positive control group. Mortality also occurred in the positive control group (7/20). Chickens treated with A. annua had a significant reduction in faecal oocysts (95.6%; P = 0.027) and in lesion score (56.3%; P = 0.005) when compared to the positive control. At the end of experiment, chickens treated with A. annua leaf powder had the highest body weight gain (68.2 g/day), after the negative control group, and the best feed conversion (1.85) among all experimental groups.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that A. annua leaf powder (Aa-p), at 1.5% of the daily diet post-infection, can be a valuable alternative for synthetic coccidiostats, such as lasalocid.