A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON POSSIBLE EFFECT OF PLECTRANTHUS SPP. EXTRACT ON HISTOPATHOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE OF BROILERS CHICKEN INFECTED BY EIMERIA TENELLA IN TAIZ CITY, YEMEN.

Coccidia specie is classified under the subkingdom protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexia genus Eimeria. Coccidiosis is a self-limiting, infectious disease of the digestive tract caused by host specific. Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) is the most pathogenic species of Eimeria which infected chickens. The aim of the present study was to examine the histopathological changes on the caecum of chicken infected with E. tenella and treated with some Yemeni herbal drug (Plectranthus spp.).

Some Yemeni^`s herbals have strong effects on the inflammatory disease, fever and internal parasites and some species of protozoa such as coccidia. Aqueous extract of Plectranthus spp. was used to determine their effect on the cecal coccidiosis of chicken. Thirty broiler chickens aged 20 days were divided into 3 groups: Ten birds each.  Each bird in groups A & B was challenge orally with 15,000 sporulated oocysts of E.  tenella while, group C used as “negative control group” not infected / not treated. Nine day post-infected, group B was treated with extract Plectranthus spp. herbals of 15 mg/ kg for 15 days after the bloody diarrhea was seen. Group A didn’t treat.
The dropping was examined to notice the decreased in the oocysts numbers and the change in body weight among groups. Histopathological changes and damage of the tissue infused by the parasite in both groups A & B and the effect of herbals amelioration on the tissues was also studied and compare them with group C. Hematoxine & Eosin techniques for histopathological experiments and McMaster techniques for oocyst counting, The effects of herbal plants (Plectranthus) illustrated particularly in treated chickens after experimentally infected with E. tenella a positive anticoccidial herbal drugs activity where it has repaired some lesion, damaged and decreased some destruction in caecum tissue of chickens