Abstract
Indigenous chickens are commonly infested with Ascaridia galli, causing impaired growth, performance and productivity potential of infested chicken. Present study was aimed to investigate prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths infection in indigenous chickens and to develop a cheaper and readily available herbal anthelmintic against A. galli. Papaya latex, methanolic and aqueous neem seeds kernel extract and crude neem seeds kernel were used against experimental A. galli. Prevalence study was carried out in four upazilas of Barisal district, Bangladesh, examined 320 chickens at necropsy during February 2012 to January 2013. During necropsy, six species of helminths parasites were recovered, of which five were nematodes such as Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, Capillaria sp, Acuaria hamulosa and Dispharinx spiralis and one was Cestode called Raillietina tetragona. Highest prevalence of A. galli ( 41.56%) was seen followed by R. tetragona (19.68%), H. gallinarum (15.62%), A. hamulosa (8.75%), C. sp (4.68%) and D. spiralis (1.56%). The prevalence of A. galli appeared higher during rainy season (45%) followed by summer (39.68%) and winter (31.57%). In vitro anthelmintic efficacy trial revealed papaya latex highly effective against adult A. galli and found to paralyze A. galli in shortest time period (63.33 mins) and kill within 180.66mins. To investigate in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of papaya latex, methanolic and aqueous neem seeds kernel extract and crude neem seeds kernel, L3 larvae was developed in the laboratory. Interestingly the eggs took 21 days to develop into L3 larvae. One month aged sonali chickens (n=30) was infested with 500 L3 eggs and the birds were randomly divided into groups of five. Fecal examination revealed the eggs of A. galli following 44 days of larval infestation. The infected chickens were treated orally with papaya latex, neem seeds extract and piperazine citrate (positive control) and anthelmintic efficacy was evaluated in terms of revealing adult A. galli at necropsy. Following therapeutic intervention 100%, 71.42%, 50%, 64.28% and 100% recovery was seen following papaya latex, methanolic and aqueous neem seeds kernel extract, crude neem seeds kernel and piperazine citrate, respectively. The hematological analysis of infected chicken showed significant reduction of hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), serum Ca++ (mg/dl) and P (mg/dl) level. Notably serum Ca++ (10.65± 0.13), P (4.21± 0.02), Hb (12.04± 0.19) and PCV (31.04 ±1.14) level regained rapidly in papaya latex treated chickens. Infected birds treated with papaya latex (1gm/kg body weight) showed highest efficacy (P<0.000) in terms of eliminating 100% adult worms in vivo. Ascaridiasis is an endemic parasite of indigenous chickens of Bangladesh and papaya latex may be a choice of first line herbal anthelmintic. The neem seeds kernel found to eliminate about 65% adult worm and may be used as second line herbal helminths against Ascaridiasis in chicken. It needs to test anthelmintic efficacy of papaya latex and neem seed kernel against other worms and developing a readily available herbal anthelmintic for rural poultry.