Effect of Areca Nut Extract on Blood Indexes and Anticoccidial Efficacy of Chickens Infected with Eimeria tenella

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of areca nut extract on blood indexes and anticoccidial efficacy of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.270 Wenchang chickens at 1 day-old were randomly divided into six groups,which were non-infected control group,negative control group,positive control group and areca nut groups 1,2 and 3.Areca nut groups 1,2 and 3 were fed the basal diets supplemented with 200,400 and 600 mg/kg areca nut extract powder throughout the experiment,respectively,while three control groups only fed the basal diets.At 15 days of age,30 chickens from each group that had similar weight except non-infected control group were inoculated with an oral dose of a normal saline mixture of 1×10⁵ sporulated oocysts (1 mL/head).The results showed as follows:①On post-inoculation days 6 and 9,in contrast with non-infected control group and positive control group,blood RBC,Hb and PCV in areca nut groups 1,2 and 3 and negative control group were decreased.②Compared with non-infected control group,the contents of serum TP,ALB and GLB in positive control group and areca nut group 1 were increased on post-inoculation days 3 and 9;On day 9 post-inoculation,the ALT content in serum of areca nut groups 2 and 3 were significantly decreased than that of non-infected control group and positive control group (P<0.05),the serum UA content of areca nut group 1 was significantly decreased than that of negative control group,positive control group and areca nut group 2 and 3 on day 9 post-inoculation (P<0.05);On day 6 post-inoculation,the serum Na⁺ and Cl^- concentrations of negative control group were significantly decreased than that of non-infected control group and positive control group (P<0.05),there were no significant differences in the Na⁺ and Cl^- concentrations among areca nut group 1 and three control groups (P>0.05).③The ACI of areca nut groups 1,2 and 3 were 128.48,126.53,141.11,respectively.In conclusion,200,400 and 600 mg/kg areca nut extract powder which were added to basal diet had middle anticoccidial effect.In addition,200 and 400 mg/kg areca nut powder could maintain the normal Na⁺ and Cl^- concentrations in serum and reduce the liver injury of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.