Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations

Coccidiosis is a significant disease with economic implications. It causes high mortality and morbidity, often associated with weight loss. This study investigated the effects of ginger supplementation on antioxidant status, biochemical parameters, and intestinal tissue histopathology in experimenta...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alshimaa Saber, Amany Sayed Mawas, Atef M. Khalil, Ahmed I. Ahmed, Dina M. W. Shibat Elhamd, Esraa Ali, Ibrahim F. Rehan, Asmaa Elnagar, František Zigo, Mohammed Salah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1511759/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850275487380668416
author Alshimaa Saber
Alshimaa Saber
Amany Sayed Mawas
Atef M. Khalil
Ahmed I. Ahmed
Dina M. W. Shibat Elhamd
Esraa Ali
Ibrahim F. Rehan
Ibrahim F. Rehan
Asmaa Elnagar
František Zigo
Mohammed Salah
author_facet Alshimaa Saber
Alshimaa Saber
Amany Sayed Mawas
Atef M. Khalil
Ahmed I. Ahmed
Dina M. W. Shibat Elhamd
Esraa Ali
Ibrahim F. Rehan
Ibrahim F. Rehan
Asmaa Elnagar
František Zigo
Mohammed Salah
author_sort Alshimaa Saber
collection DOAJ
description Coccidiosis is a significant disease with economic implications. It causes high mortality and morbidity, often associated with weight loss. This study investigated the effects of ginger supplementation on antioxidant status, biochemical parameters, and intestinal tissue histopathology in experimentally induced coccidiosis. One hundred one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross) were purchased from a local hatchery. Birds were kept in a clean, well ventilated and disinfected shed. The birds were given non-pelleted diets and water ad libitum throughout the period of the study (25 days). The aqueous ginger was administered orally to the chicks of the four dietary groups via drinking water at concentrations of 6 gm/L of water. All biosecurity measures were adopted according to standard protocol. The chicks were allocated into five groups: control negative (CN), control positive (CP) was infected with 3 × 104 sporulated oocysts at day 14th of the experiment, the third group (GO) was given ginger only for 25 days, the fourth group (GB) was given ginger from day 4th to day 25th of the experiment, and the fifth group (GA) was given ginger from day 5th post infection to day 25th of the experiment. Ginger extract treatment reduced the fecal oocyst count in the infected group, particularly on day 10 post-infection. The alterations in differential leukocyte counts due to coccidial infection were ameliorated by ginger extract administration. Biochemically, compared to the infected group, ginger (Zingiber officinale) reversed the altered biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, MDA, and SOD enzyme) associated with cecal coccidiosis. Immunologically, ginger extract treatment increased CD4 T cell counts and overexpression of INF-γ in the cecal epithelium. Histological examination revealed a significant reduction in goblet cell number and a decrease in the villus height (VH) to crypt depth (CD) ratio in infected chicks. Restoration of normal cecal histological structure and increased absorptive function and goblet cell number were observed in ginger-treated chicks compared to control-positive chicks. In conclusion, ginger supplements have effective therapeutic uses against intestinal coccidiosis as shown in the biochemical, immunohistochemical and histopathological results.
format Article
id doaj-art-b9da08fe587c4af5bc8a0df2901974cd
institution OA Journals
issn 2297-1769
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Veterinary Science
spelling doaj-art-b9da08fe587c4af5bc8a0df2901974cd2025-08-20T01:50:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692025-03-011210.3389/fvets.2025.15117591511759Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluationsAlshimaa Saber0Alshimaa Saber1Amany Sayed Mawas2Atef M. Khalil3Ahmed I. Ahmed4Dina M. W. Shibat Elhamd5Esraa Ali6Ibrahim F. Rehan7Ibrahim F. Rehan8Asmaa Elnagar9František Zigo10Mohammed Salah11Department of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptDivision of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Qena, EgyptDepartment of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptDepartment of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptDepartment of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptDivision of Clinical Poultry Diseases, Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Qena, EgyptDivision of Parasitology, Agricultural Research Centre (ARC), Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Qena, EgyptDepartment of Husbandry and Development of Animal Wealth, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Menoufia University, Shibin el Kom, EgyptDepartment of Pathobiochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University Yagotoyama, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Pathobiochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University Yagotoyama, Nagoya, JapanDepartment of Nutrition and Animal Husbandry, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, SlovakiaDepartment of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, EgyptCoccidiosis is a significant disease with economic implications. It causes high mortality and morbidity, often associated with weight loss. This study investigated the effects of ginger supplementation on antioxidant status, biochemical parameters, and intestinal tissue histopathology in experimentally induced coccidiosis. One hundred one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross) were purchased from a local hatchery. Birds were kept in a clean, well ventilated and disinfected shed. The birds were given non-pelleted diets and water ad libitum throughout the period of the study (25 days). The aqueous ginger was administered orally to the chicks of the four dietary groups via drinking water at concentrations of 6 gm/L of water. All biosecurity measures were adopted according to standard protocol. The chicks were allocated into five groups: control negative (CN), control positive (CP) was infected with 3 × 104 sporulated oocysts at day 14th of the experiment, the third group (GO) was given ginger only for 25 days, the fourth group (GB) was given ginger from day 4th to day 25th of the experiment, and the fifth group (GA) was given ginger from day 5th post infection to day 25th of the experiment. Ginger extract treatment reduced the fecal oocyst count in the infected group, particularly on day 10 post-infection. The alterations in differential leukocyte counts due to coccidial infection were ameliorated by ginger extract administration. Biochemically, compared to the infected group, ginger (Zingiber officinale) reversed the altered biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, MDA, and SOD enzyme) associated with cecal coccidiosis. Immunologically, ginger extract treatment increased CD4 T cell counts and overexpression of INF-γ in the cecal epithelium. Histological examination revealed a significant reduction in goblet cell number and a decrease in the villus height (VH) to crypt depth (CD) ratio in infected chicks. Restoration of normal cecal histological structure and increased absorptive function and goblet cell number were observed in ginger-treated chicks compared to control-positive chicks. In conclusion, ginger supplements have effective therapeutic uses against intestinal coccidiosis as shown in the biochemical, immunohistochemical and histopathological results.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1511759/fullameliorationcoccidiaginger (Zingiber officinale)immunityhistopathology
spellingShingle Alshimaa Saber
Alshimaa Saber
Amany Sayed Mawas
Atef M. Khalil
Ahmed I. Ahmed
Dina M. W. Shibat Elhamd
Esraa Ali
Ibrahim F. Rehan
Ibrahim F. Rehan
Asmaa Elnagar
František Zigo
Mohammed Salah
Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
amelioration
coccidia
ginger (Zingiber officinale)
immunity
histopathology
title Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations
title_full Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations
title_fullStr Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations
title_full_unstemmed Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations
title_short Therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia—anti-oxidant, biochemical, and pathological evaluations
title_sort therapeutic impact of dietary ginger supplementation in chickens experimentally infected with coccidia anti oxidant biochemical and pathological evaluations
topic amelioration
coccidia
ginger (Zingiber officinale)
immunity
histopathology
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1511759/full
work_keys_str_mv AT alshimaasaber therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT alshimaasaber therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT amanysayedmawas therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT atefmkhalil therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT ahmediahmed therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT dinamwshibatelhamd therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT esraaali therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT ibrahimfrehan therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT ibrahimfrehan therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT asmaaelnagar therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT frantisekzigo therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations
AT mohammedsalah therapeuticimpactofdietarygingersupplementationinchickensexperimentallyinfectedwithcoccidiaantioxidantbiochemicalandpathologicalevaluations