Abstract:
In order to evaluate the control effect of Broussonetia papyrifera leaves on chicken coccidiosis, the experiment adopted the method of artificial infection with coccidia. The one-day-old three-yellow chickens were divided into four groups, namely the normal group(normal feeding), the infected group(infected with coccidia without treatment), and the leaf powder group(infected with coccidia + 6% Broussonetia papyrifera leaf powder added), diclazuril group(infected with coccidia + 0.05% diclazuril); three repetitions per group, and five chickens per repetition. Except for the normal group, the other groups were orally infected with 7.5×10~4 coccidia sporulated oocysts at the age of 14 days, and the clinical symptoms of the chicks were observed. The chicks were killed at 21 days of age and tested for cecal lesions, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal tight junction proteins related genes mRNA relative expression and other related indicators. The results showed that the anti-coccidial index of the Broussonetia papyrifera leaf powder group was 156.69, which could achieve a moderate anti-coccidial effect. Compared with the infected group, the Broussonetia papyrifera leaf powder group could improve the survival rate of the chicks, slow down the weight loss of the infected chicks, and significantly reduce the OPG of the cecum(P<0.05); it could improve the cecal tissue damage caused by Eimeria tenella infection, improve the antioxidant capacity of chicks, and promote the expression of intestinal tight junction related proteins genes(ZO-1, Occludin). The results suggested that adding 6% Broussonetia papyrifera leaf powder to the diet could prevent and control coccidiosis in chicks to a certain extent.