The Anticoccidial In Vitro Effects and Antioxidant Properties of Several Plants Traditionally Used for Coccidiosis in Togo

Abstract

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease that often affects livestock. Identifying plants with inhibitory effects on the development of the parasite could help in finding new natural treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoccidial potentials of extracts from Azadirachta indica leaves (AILs), Combretum micranthum leaves (CMLs), Carica papaya seeds (CPSs), Sarcocephalus latifolius roots (SLRs), and Vernonia amygdalina leaves (VALs). The in vitro anticoccidial efficacy of the extracts was evaluated through oocyst sporulation inhibition and sporozoite viability inhibition assays of Eimeria oocysts. The setup was examined for 72 h (every 24 h) of incubation. The DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the extracts. Among the tested extracts, the SLR, CPS, and AIL extracts exhibited the maximum oocyst sporulation inhibition (75.85 ± 1.21%, 74.53 ± 1.65%, and 71.58 ± 0.24%, respectively) at a concentration of 75 mg/mL of plant extracts against the Eimeria species. The Sarcocephalus latifolius root extract showed the highest radical scavenging capacity (76.25 ± 0.53) and reducing power (86.21 ± 4.28). The biochemical screening of the selected plant extracts revealed the presence of antioxidant compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, and carbohydrates. The SLR extract contained the highest amounts of phenols (56.11 ± 0.33 µg/mL) and flavonoids (36.65 ± 1.85 µg/mL). In conclusion, the selected hydro-ethanolic extracts from these plants possess excellent anticoccidial and antioxidant activities, which can be attributed to the presence of medicinally important phytochemicals. Further research is needed to identify and isolate the active anticoccidial compounds from these plants, which could be utilized in the development of drugs against coccidiosis.