Efficacy of volatile oils [curzerene, furanoeudesma-1, 3-diene and lindestrene] on avian coccidiosis under laboratory conditions

The coccidicidal efficacy of volatile oils [curzerene, furanoeudesma-1, 3- diene and lindestrene] against unsporulated and sporulated chicken Eimeria species oocysts was tested in three concentrations: 1, 2 and 3 micro g/ml. Marked reduction in the number of living oocysts was recorded in exposed groups. The concentration of 3 micro g/ml volatile oils induced the highest destructive effect. 58.1% of viable unsporulated oocysts were destroyed. A mean number of 153,800 oocysts was the difference between the total number of the produced oocysts per gram faeces in the group infected with exposed oocysts and that of the group infected with nonexposed oocysts being less in the exposed group with more reduction in the vitality of shedding oocysts in the former group. At the meantime, the postmortem and histopathological microscopical examination of the intestine and caecum of' the tested group revealed a reduction in the intestinal lesions in the group infected with the exposed oocysts

Efficacy of myrrh in controlling coccidioses in chickens

Myrrh was used for controlling the infection with Eimeria species in chickens. A total of 120 one-day-old native breed chickens bought from commercial hatchery were used in the experiment. Birds were feed on starter balanced ration free from anticoccidial drugs. At age of 2 weeks the chickens were divided into 4 groups [1-4], 30 chicks each. Chickens of first group were inoculated by 50000 sporulated oocysts of mixed local field isolated Eimeria species and served as infected non treated control group. Birds of the second group were infected similarly and received simultaneously 10 mg Myrrh/ bird by oral route. Birds of group 3 was supplied with Myrrh 10 mg/ bird one day before infection by coccidia [50000 oocyst /bird] .Last chicken group was left as non-infected non treated control group Measurements to evaluate the efficacy of Myrrh as anticoccidial drug included; mortality percentage; lesion score at 5 day post infection and the total oocyst output/gm of fecal dropping. The results showed that the mortality rate reached 10% and 3.33% in groups 2 and 3 respectively, while it reached 26.66% in infected non treated control group. High lesion score was recorded in infected non treated group followed by infected treated chicken groups regardless the time of treatment. The feed conversion rates reached 3.14 in infected non treated chicken group against 2.47 and 2.21 in treated chickens groups, 2 and 3 respectively. Mean oocyst count per gram faecal dropping [OPG] was reduced significantly in group 3 when compared with other infected treated or infected non treated chicken groups

Acaricidal efficacy of Myrrh [commiphora molmol] on the fowl tick argas persicus [acari: argasidae]

Five concentrations of purified extract of Myrrh from Commiphora molmol tree were prepared to study its effects on the fowl tick Argas persicus under laboratory conditions. The results revealed that Myrrh had dependant dose toxic effect on the adult female of A. persicus. Toxicity increased gradually daily post treatment. The LC 50 was 1.28%, 0.88%, 0.84%, 0.50% and 0.42% at 1st 2nd 3rd 6th and 12th days respectively. At 12th day, the recorded mortality rates were 63, 67, 76, 87 and 94% for concentrations. 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10%, respectively against 5% in control. Histopathological and Transmission election microscope [TEM] examinations showed the lysing of epithelial gut cells in treated groups. The lysed epithelial gut cells showed irregularly distributed nucleus, commonly at low concentrations and rarely in high concentrations of Myrrh. The lysed epithelial gut cells, without nucleus or with aggregated one beside the basal lamina. were common at high concentrations and rare in low concentrations of Myrrh. Consequently, Myrrh can rapidly penetrate the cuticle to body cavity, destroy the epithelial gut cells and finally cause the death of ticks

Effect of feeding different diets on the crude protein content and free amino acids in the haemolymph of Lucilia sericata [Meigen] and chrysomya albiceps [wied] prepupae [diptera-calliphoridae]

Larvae of both blowflies Lucilia sericata and Chrysomya albiceps were fed bovine meat, bovine liver, fish and chicken. The content of crude protein in the haemolymph of L. sericata prepupae when its larvae were fed on the four different diets, showed higher concentration when fed on bovine liver, than when fed on chicken and bovine meat. The least protein content recorded was when larvae were offered fish as diet. Meanwhile the protein content in the haemolymph of C. albiceps prepupae showed slightly higher concentration when larvae were fed on bovine liver than when fed on bovine meat, chicken and fish. Using [HPLC], the concentration of histidine was the most predominant amino acid in haemolymph of L. sericata prepupae when its larvae were fed on bovine liver followed by threonine when its larvae were fed on fish. While the amino acid leucine and serine were significantly low when larvae were fed bovine liver. The amino acid threonine in haemolymph of C. albiceps prepupae was high when its larvae were fed bovine meat and chicken and cysteine was significantly high in case of larvae fed on bovine liver and fish. The concentration of the amino acid glutamic acid was the least when fish was offered as diet and the amino acid isoleucine and leucine were significantly low when larvae were fed bovine liver