Comparative Anthelmintic Efficacy of Caesalpinia Crista, Nigella Sativa and Oxfendazole in Broilers with Experimentally Induced Ascaridia Galli Infection

The study was conducted to explore the effect of two herbal drugs, Caesalpinia crista and Nigella sativa in comparison with Oxfendazole in broilers experimentally induced with Ascaridia galli infection .A total of 130 day old broiler chicks were divided into five groups i.e. A, B, C, D and E each group having 26 birds. Group E was kept as negative control, while all other groups were induced with experimental Ascardia galli infection on 15 th day. Group A was kept as positive control and groups B and C were treated with Caesalpinia crista and Nigella sativa as methanolic extract orally once @50mg/kg body weight and group D was medicated with Oxfendazole @10mg/kg body weight orally once on 25 th day post infection. On 25th day post infection before treatment 4 birds from each group were slaughtered, and worm count was done. The efficacy was confirmed by counting the worm, slaughtering all the bird on 30 th day post infection. The mean worm count was significantly different (p<0.05) between the treated and non treated groups. The efficacy of the plant extracts were less as compare to Oxfendazole. The efficacy of Caesalpinia crista and Nigella sativa was 70.83% and 57.5% respectively while the efficacy of Oxfendazole was 90.83%.In vitro treatment at 37±1°C revealed that a serial dose of the plant extract caused dose-dependent vermicidal effect on the worm (significant efficacy at P<0.05), except at the lowest dose (i.e. 5 mg/mL). The efficacy of drugs was calculated on the basis of reduction in total worm count after treatment.