1.Therapeutic effect of Moringa oleifera and Thymus vulgaris oils against hepatic coccidiosis in experimentally infected rabbits
Abu El Ezz, N.M.T ; Aboelsoued, D. ; Hassan, S.E. ; Abdel Megeed, K.N. ; El-Metenawy, T.M.
Tropical Biomedicine 2020;37(No.4):1018-1028
The present study was conducted to detect the therapeutic effect of Moringa
oleifera and Thymus vulgaris oils on hepatic coccidiosis in experimentally infected rabbits.
Also, immunomodulatory effect of the two oils was detected. Twenty-four Newzealand rabbits
were used in this study and divided into 4 groups; healthy rabbits, experimentally infected
rabbits with Eimeria stiedae oocysts, and two infected treated groups (one with moringa
(200 mg/kg) and the other with thyme (500 mg/kg) oils). The results showed highly significant
reduction in oocysts shedding (P<0.001 and P<0.05) in the two infected and treated rabbits
than the infected non-treated rabbits in almost all days post infection (PI). Thyme oil was
more potent and stopped oocysts shedding earlier at the day 34 PI compared to moringa oil
at the day 41 PI. Microscopically, there was a damage in the oocysts shed by treated rabbits.
Macroscopically, the livers of thyme oil treated rabbits showed more enhancement with
protection percentage 75% than those treated with moringa oil in which protection percentage
was 55%. The highest titer of antibodies was detected in moringa oil treated rabbits. It was
concluded that both moringa and thyme oils had an anti-coccidial effect with thyme oil
superiority. So, thyme oil could be useful as an alternative product for the control of rabbit
coccidiosis.