Biochemical Studies in Experimentally Escherichia Coli Infected Roiler Chicken Supplemented with Amla (Emblica officinalis) Extract

The present study was undertaken in broiler chickens to study the effect of dry fruit extract of amla supplementation on biochemical changes in relation to the severity of colibacillosis. Experimental colibacillosis could be produced in broiler chicks by intraperitoneal inoculation of E. coli O120 after 12 hours of the infection as evidenced by clinical signs. One hundred and sixty-eight day old healthy broiler chicks were procured from a local hatchery. These chicks were divided into two groups (A and B) containing eighty-four birds each. Diet of all the chicks of group A was supplemented with grinded dry fruit extract of Amla at the rate of 1 Og/kg of feed whereas; chicks of group B were given normal feed and water. At the age of 7 days chicks of group Al and Bl were injected intraperitoneally with standard infective dose of pathogenic E. coli. (i.e. at the rate of 10⁷ CFU of E. coli/0.5 ml). During the experiment blood was collected from six chicks from each group at days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 post-infection for biochemical studies. Serum samples collected for biochemical studies revealed significant increase in serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase activities and decrease in creatine phosphokinase activity. Decrease in total protein, albumin concentrations in both the infected groups was also noticed but this was non-significant. On the basis of results of the present study it is concluded that 1 Og/kg dry fruit extract of amla supplementation significantly reduced the severity and recovery period of colibacillosis in chicks as evidenced by biochemical parameters.