1Department of Veterinary Pathology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana-125004, India
2College Central Laboratory, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana-125004, India
Online published on 19 December, 2013.
The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Ocimum sanctum leaf powder on experimental Escherichia coli infection in broiler chickens. One hundred and sixty, day-old broiler chicks were divided into two groups. The birds of group A were supplemented with dried O. sanctum leaf (OSL) powder in feed @5g/kg and the birds of group B were given feed without OSL supplementation. After seven days of age, each bird in group A1 and B1 was inoculated with E. coli O78 (@107 CFU/0.5 ml) by the intraperitoneal route, whereas groups A2 and B2 were kept as controls. Mortality in group B1 was 35.56% whereas mortality was comparatively low (20%) in OSL supplemented group A1. Gross lesions produced in group B1 were fibrinous mass on the surface of liver and heart, congestion in visceral organs, peritonitis, reddish intestinal mucosa and atrophy of bursa of Fabricius. The gross lesions in OSL supplemented infected group were of less intensity at different intervals as compared to those observed in non-supplemented infected group. Histopathological lesions observed were fibrinous pericarditis, myocarditis, fibrinous perihepatitis, haemorrhagic enteritis, proventriculitis and depletion of lymphocytes in bursa of Fabricius. In OSL supplemented E. coli infected group lesions were less severe in magnitude and lasted for shorter duration as compared to non-supplemented E.coli infected group. On the basis of gross lesion scores and histopathological lesion scores percent protective effect due to O. sanctum leaf supplementation was 32.43 and 34.76%, respectively indicating reduction in severity of the disease and early recovery due to OSL supplementation.
