COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF PAPAYA LEAVES (Carica papaya) SUSPENSION AND TOLTRAZURIL AGAINST COCCIDIOSIS IN SONALI CHICKEN

Abstract

Coccidiosis is recognized as the parasitic disease with the greatest economic impact on poultry industries worldwide. This disease is very common in sonali chicken and other poultry species. Recently, the concerns about possible drug resistance have aroused great caution in the usage of drug in the animal industry. As one of its alternative now a days researchers are concentrating efforts on herbal medicine using different medicinal plants to minimize the adverse effects. Papaya leaves (Carica Papaya) having anti-protozoal, antiinflammatory, anti-microbial and antifungal properties may provide a new therapeutic avenue against coccidiosis. This work was conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of papaya leaves suspension (PLS) and toltrazuril on protozoal load, blood constituents, growth performance of sonali chicken infected with Eimeria spp. Eighty (80) sonali chicken of seven days old were randomly divided into four groups named T0, T1, T2 and T3. Each group contained 20 birds. Eimeria spp. was administered orally in T1 T2 and T3 groups. T0 group was the negative control group and after 3 days of infection T2 group was treated with papaya leaves suspension (0.5%) for 15 days and T3 group was treated with toltrazuril (coxitril®) solution (1 ml/lit) for 2 days. Results showed that oocyst reduction count in T2 group was 83.5% and in T3 group was 100%. Number of oocyst count was increased in T1 group. Overall, protozoal load significantly (P<0.01) decreased in T2 & T3 groups whereas significantly (P<0.01) increased in T1 group. In case of haematological parameters total erythrocyte count (TEC) and hemoglobin (Hb) in different treatment groups were almost similar and the differences were statistically non-significant (P>0.05) except total leukocyte count (TLC) which was statistically significant (P<0.01). The highest body weight gain was recorded from papaya leaves suspension treated T2 group.