Effect of Chrysactinia mexicana Gray Extract on Laying Hens Organs Challenged with Salmonella typhimurium

Introduction: Backyard poultry production systems are a very important source of meat and egg protein especially for children in rural areas.

Aim: Evaluate the biocide effect of Chrysactinia mexicana Gray extract on laying hens organs challenged with Salmonella typhimurium.

Study Design: In vitro and in vivo testing.

Methodology: Two trials were conducted. In the first trial an in vitro experiment was performed with different solvents: aqueous, methylene chloride, ethanol and hexane for the plant extraction. Bactericide effect was determined. The second trial was an in vivo experiment 24 Plymouth Rock Barred hens, 21 weeks old (6 hens/treatment) were used with the following treatments: T1 control, no challenge and no plant extract; T2 control with challenge; T3 challenge and ethanol extract of C. mexicana and; T4 challenge and antibiotic. Colony Forming Units (CFU) of S. typhimurium in gizzard, ceca, crop and duodenum contents was measured.

Results: Bactericide assessment of C. mexicana with different solvent extracts resulted effective against S. typhimurium on concentrations between 20 and 25 mg/ml of extract. Ethanol extract has higher bactericide activity. Feed intake, total weight gain and final body weight was higher for T1 among the other treatments. Treatment 2 had the lowest trait performance. T3 and T4 had similar feed intake, total weight gain and final body weight response. The control group had lower CFU for crop, gizzard, ceca and duodenum compared with the other treatments. The highest content of CFU for all four organs was for the T2. The treatment challenged with S. typhimurium and C. mexicana extract had lower CFU for the organs than T2. Treatment challenged and with antibiotic showed better CFU counts than T3.

Conclusion: C. mexicana extract had a beneficial effect both in vitro and in vivo trials.