Therapeutic Evaluation of Terminalia macroptera (Guill. & Perr.) Stembark Extract in Experimental Avian Coccidiosis

Seventy per cent (70% ) of Terminalia macroptera stem bark, methanol extract was administered to four groups A,B,C and D of a day old broiler chickens with each group consisting of five(5) chicks. Different doses of 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kgbw corresponding to 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 ml of the dissolved extract were administered to the respective groups. Groups E, F and G were the other groups that were infected but not treated (Negative control), infected and treated with the Standard drug (TolacoxR) and Treated but not infected respectively. There was a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) in the Oocyst count (x103) between the infected and treated with the extract compared to the negative control. While the negative control was observed to manifest watery and bloody stool, high lesion score and high faecal count, the trend seemed to be reversed by the administration of the various doses of the extract on daily basis for 28 consecutive days. The faecal count in the treated groups was found to fall down to 2.1, 4.0, 1.7 and 0.7 x 103/g in the 50, 100,150 and 200mg/kgbw doses administered respectively, when compared to the 36.9 x 10 3/g obtained in the negative control. Also, the efficacy of the extract was observed to be dose dependent, as the dose of 200mg/kgbw was found to reduce the faecal count in the infected group to 0.7 as compared to the 0.8 x 10 3/g in the standard drug.