Efficacy of allicin from garlic against Ascaridia galli infection in chickens

Abstract

The use of garlic as a treatment against helminth infections is increasing in organic layer farms in several European countries. Its efficacy against these parasites, however, has not been demonstrated thus far. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the efficacy of a commercially available garlic product consisting of a high concentration of allicin (i.e., the main active component of garlic) against experimentally induced Ascaridia galli infection in chickens. In total, 450 Lohmann LSL-Classic cockerels were used. Group 1, the uninfected, untreated group, consisted of 50 chickens. Groups 2 to 5, each consisting of approximately 100 chickens, were inoculated with 300 embryonated A. galli eggs/chicken at 6 wk of age. Group 2 was not treated, whereas groups 3 through 5 were given daily individual oral treatments from 13 wk of age onward. Group 3 received the recommended dose of allicin for 2 wk, whereas group 4 received a 10-fold dose of allicin. Group 5 was given 10 mg of flubendazole/kg of BW for 1 wk. Necropsy of 20 birds of all groups was performed weekly between 13 and 16 wk of age to determine adult worm loads. Group 1 remained free of A. galli. The experimental infection in the other groups resulted in a mean adult worm load of approximately 16 worms/bird. No significant differences were observed in worm counts of the allicin-treated groups (groups 3 and 4) compared with the infected, untreated group (group 2) at any week (P > 0.05). In contrast, no worms were found in chickens after flubendazole treatment (group 5). It was concluded that allicin does not represent an alternative to flubendazole for the treatment of A. galli infections in chickens.

The Genus Allium as Poultry Feed Additive: A Review

“…), rosy garlic (A. roseum) [24], garlic chives (A. hookeri) [25], and wild garlic (A. ursinum) [26]. Although the antimicrobial mechanism of these compounds has not been well defined, it seems that it is associated with the inhibition of important thiol-dependent enzymatic systems (alcohol dehydrogenase, thioredoxin reductase, trypsin, other proteases, RNA and DNA polymerases) and antioxidant activity, which have a multiple inhibitory effect on the microbial cell [27][28][29]. The potent antimicrobial activities of OSCs is also related to the number of disulfide bounds, i.e., DATTS > DATS > DADS > DAS [30].…”

“…Mechanistically, the garlic oil reduced significantly the glucose uptake, glycogen content, oxygen consumption, and relative activity of acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterases in the parasite. However, an in vivo study by Velkers et al [28] failed to observe efficacy of allicin from garlic against experimentally induced A. galli infection in chickens with no significant effect on worm load. Shojai et al [93] observed an inhibitory effect of garlic extract against infectious bronchitis virus in specific pathogen-free (SPF) embryonic eggs and they suggested that the garlic extract could have an effect on the virus in replication phase.…”

Soil nematodeCaenorhabditis elegansMaupas as a convenient model organism to study anthelmintic activity of plant extracts

“…There is lack of direct evidences of allicin anthelmintic activity. Moreover, inefficiency of allicin for treatment ascariasis in chickens was shown [5].…”

In Vitro Efficacy of Medicinal Plant Material on the Inhibition of Development of Egg of Ascaridia galli

“…The pharmacological activity of turmeric has nematocidal (Kiuchi et al, 1993). Treatment with allicin from garlic is effective against A. galli in chicken (Velkers et al, 2011). In vitro and in vivo screening of plant materials as anthelmintic against adult A. galli has been done throughout the world with the aim of controlling A. galli in poultry.…”