Abstract

THE IN VITRO ANTICOCCIDIAL ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS AND ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF Ageratum conyzoides AND Vernonia amygdalina (ASTERACEAE)

Nguemfo Tchankugni Arlette*, Noumedem Anangmo Christelle Nadia, Yondo Jeanette, Mbogning Tayo Gertrude, Makamte Tchinde Stephanie, Wabo Pone Josué and Mpoame Mbida

ABSTRACT

The development of drug resistance to Eimeria species is a reality farms in poultry. Thus, use of plants extracts as an alternative to anticoccidial drugs has been an appealing approach for controlling avian coccidiosis. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Ageratum conyzoides and Vernonia amygdalina aqueous and ethanolic extracts on the inhibition of the sporulation of Eimeria tenella oocysts. In this assay, 1(ml) of the suspension containing 1000 unsporulated oocysts of E. tenella was introduced into Petri dishes and different concentrations (100, 50, 25 and 12.5 mg/ml) of A. conyzoides and V. amygdalina extracts were added. Tween 80 3, 5 % and Potassium Dichromate (2, 5%) were used as negative controls while phenol 5% was used as positive control. The Petri dishes were incubated for 48 h. At the end of incubation the anticoccidial activity of A. conyzoides andV. amygdalina against unsporulated oocysts of E. tenella was found to be concentration dependent and increased significantly at the higher concentration (P < 0. 05) with mean inhibition rates of 78, 67 %, 54, 33% and 47, 67% respectively for ethanolic, infusion and macerated extract of A. conyzoides and 66,66 %, 40,66% and 20,00% respectively for ethanolic, infusion and macerated extract of V. amygdalina. The inhibition rate of ethanolic extracst of both plants were significantly higher (P

Keywords: Ageratum conyzoides, Vernonia amygdalina, anticoccidial activity, Eimeria tenella, sporulation, oocysts.