Anticoccidial effects of Morinda lucida acetone extracts on broiler chickens naturally infected with Eimeria species

Context: The development of drug resistance to Eimeria species in poultry is a reality on farms. This necessitates chemotherapeutic control alternatives, and plant secondary metabolities with activity is one of those potential solutions. Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of acetone leaf extract of Morinda lucida Benth. (Rubiaceae) against coccidiosis in broiler chickens. Materials and methods: Acute toxicity of the plant was investigated using 30 one-day-old broiler chicks. Anticoccidial activity investigations were carried out in birds drenched with 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 g/kg body weight (BW) of acetone extract of M. lucida leaves once a day for five days, with toltrazuril(R) and untreated controls. The activity was evaluated by means of oocyst inhibition in feces, fecal score, weight gain, mortality and hematological parameters. Results: No sign of toxicity was observed during the acute toxicity test. Fecal oocyst counts decreased steadily in all the treatment groups with time. The anticoocidial efficacy of birds treated with 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 g/kg BW of the extract was 91.2, 95.2, 98.7, 99 and 99.5%, respectively. The packed cell volumes, red blood cell counts and white blood cell of the treated birds were not significantly different (p>0.05) from the untreated control. However, haemoglobin concentration and weight gain of the treated birds were significantly different (p<0.05) from the untreated control. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate the anticoccidial effect of M. lucida on Eimeria parasites. Morinda lucida leaves could therefore find application in anticoccidial therapy.