Oral treatment of Eimeria tenella-infected broilers using aqueous extract of wild mushroom (Ganoderma sp): Effect on haematological parameters and histopathology lesions

Abstract

In Nigeria, wild Ganoderma species of mushroom grows in abundance during the rainy season. Studies were conducted to evaluate the haematological parameters and the histopathology lesions in organs of
broilers treated with aqueous extract of wild Ganoderma sp. Blood and organs were collected for haematology and histopathology, respectively. The haematological analysis showed a slight drop in packed cell volume (PCV) in the birds of group A (23.5% ± 0.7), B (28.0 % ± 2.8) and C (27.5 % ± 0.7) at 7 weeks of age, one week after infection with Eimeria tenella. The values of haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) were within normal range in all the groups and seemed to bear no direct relationship to the treatment using either the wild mushroom or amprolium. The values showed considerable variations characterized by a wide range of normal values (Hb = 8.5 ± 0.0 - 14.9
±1.52 g/dl; RBC = 1.9 ± 0.18 - 8.6 ± 0.78 x10¹²/L; WBC = 2.0 ± 0.92 - 8.5 ± 0.49 x10⁹/L). Histopathology showed mild lymphocytic infiltration in the liver of the broilers. The lesions could not be linked to the use of mushroom or amprolium, as both treated and untreated birds had similar lesions in their organs. It was concluded that the mushroom has no deleterious or adverse effects on the organs of treated birds.

Keywords: Medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, Eimeria tenella, haematological values, histopathology lesions, broilers