Efficacy of dietary supplements of Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice) and maduramicin alone or in combination with Eimeria tenella infected chicks: A clinical study and molecular docking.

Background: Coccidiosis is one of the most economically significant poultry diseases worldwide, caused by the pathogenic Eimeria species, and is characterized by decreased weight gain (WG) and failure to grow due to malabsorption, low feed conversion rate, bloody diarrhea, and dehydration. Aim: This study investigated the effectiveness of licorice root extract (LRE) in controlling cecal coccidiosis to determine whether its combination with maduramicin could help alleviate the pathological, biochemical, and histopathological effects of cecal coccidiosis in Sasso broiler chicks. Methods: A total of 125 one-day-old Sasso broiler chicks were categorized into five equal groups (n = 25), each consisting of five replicates (n = 5 per replicate). G1-LE received a basal diet supplemented with LRE (3 g/kg); G2-ME received a basal diet containing maduramycin (0.5 g/kg); and G3-LME received a basal diet containing LRE and maduramicin together with the same rates. G4-E (positive control) and G5-N (negative control) received no additives in their feed. Birds in groups (G1-4) were challenged on day 14 of the experiment by orally intercropping a 1 ml suspension of Eimeria tenella sporulated oocysts. Results: Groups of birds fed on LRE and maduramicin separately or together appeared to be in good condition where no deaths or clinical abnormalities were observed, based on the analysis of clinicopathological examination. Compared with the G4-E positive control, the dropping scoring and oocyst shedding of groups G1-LE, G2-ME, and G3-LME along the 10th-day post-challenge (dpc), as well as macroscopic and microscopic lesions scoring at the 7th dpc, was considerably lower. The dual supplementation use of LRE and maduramicin in G3-LME's reduced the harmful effects of coccidian, which appeared only as a mononuclear cellular infiltration and a small number of oocysts invading the intestinal glands. Molecular docking revealed that LRE and maduramicin interacted with E. tenella DNA polymerase, E. tenella apical membrane antigen 1, and microneme protein binding sites resulting in reduced E. tenella replication and invasion. Conclusion: The inclusion of LRE and maduramicin, individually or in combination, in the diet might effectively mitigate the detrimental effects of coccidiosis.

The Preferential Therapeutic Potential of Chlorella vulgaris against Aflatoxin-Induced Hepatic Injury in Quail.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are the most detrimental mycotoxin, potentially hazardous to animals and humans. AFs in food threaten the health of consumers and cause liver cancer. Therefore, a safe, efficient, and friendly approach is attributed to the control of aflatoxicosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impacts of Chlorella vulgaris (CLV) on hepatic aflatoxicosis, aflatoxin residues, and meat quality in quails. Quails were allocated into a control group; the CLV group received CLV (1 g/kg diet); the AF group received an AF-contaminated diet (50 ppb); and the AF+CLV group received both treatments. The results revealed that AF decreased the growth performance and caused a hepatic injury, exhibited as an increase in liver enzymes and disrupted lipid metabolism. In addition, AF induced oxidative stress, exhibited by a dramatic increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and decreases in glutathione (GSH) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Significant up-regulation in the inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) mRNA expression was also documented. Moreover, aflatoxin residues were detected in the liver and meat with an elevation of fat% alongside a decrease in meat protein%. On the other hand, CLV supplementation ameliorated AF-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory condition in addition to improving the nutritional value of meat and significantly reducing AF residues. CLV mitigated AF-induced hepatic damage, decreased growth performance, and lowered meat quality via its antioxidant and nutritional constituents.