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Anticoccidial activity of maslinic acid against infection with Eimeria tenella in chickens

Parasitology Research volume 107, pages 601–604 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

We propose maslinic acid (2-α, 3-β-dihydroxiolean-12-en-28-oic acid), found in the leaves and fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.), as a new natural coccidiostatic product against Eimeria tenella. Its action in infected animals has been compared with animals treated with sodium salinomycin. The lesion index (LS), the oocyst index (OI) and the anticoccidial index (ACI) were studied with regard to the weight of the chicks. The ACI for maslinic acid was 210.27 and for sodium salinomycin 173.09. Similarly, both LS and OI decreased in the groups treated with maslinic acid. A considerable increase in weight was found in the chicks treated with maslinic acid compared with those in the control group. Histopathological studies of the caecum at 120 h post-infection showed that the infection rate decreased significantly in chicks treated with maslinic acid.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by a grant FQM1228 from the Regional Government of Andalucia (Spain) and by the companies: Granjas Avelino Góngora and BIOMASLINIC S.L. L.M. De Pablos received a fellowship from the Regional Government of Andalucia (Spain). The authors thank Dr. J. Trout of the Scientific Translation Service of the University of Granada for revising their text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Biotecnología, Grupo de Bioquímica y Parasitología Molecular, Campus de Fuentenueva, Edif. Mecenas, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Luis Miguel De Pablos, Maria Fatima Brazil dos Santos, Enrique Montero & Antonio Osuna

  2. Instituto de Biotecnología, Grupo de Biotecnología y Química de Productos Naturales, Campus de Fuentenueva, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Andrés Garcia-Granados & Andrés Parra

Authors
  1. Luis Miguel De Pablos
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  2. Maria Fatima Brazil dos Santos
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  3. Enrique Montero
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  4. Andrés Garcia-Granados
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  5. Andrés Parra
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  6. Antonio Osuna
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Correspondence to Antonio Osuna.

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De Pablos, L.M., dos Santos, M.F.B., Montero, E. et al. Anticoccidial activity of maslinic acid against infection with Eimeria tenella in chickens. Parasitol Res 107, 601–604 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1901-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1901-3

Keywords

  • Body Weight Gain
  • Oleanolic Acid
  • Lesion Score
  • Coccidiosis
  • Salinomycin