Antidiarrheal Effect of Anacardium occidentale L. Leaf Powder on Newborn Chicks

Abstract

To evaluate the antidiarrheal effects of Anacardium occidentale L. leaf powder, 45 two-day old White Leghorn chicks (L-33 hybrid) were studied for 8 hours. A completely randomized design was applied with three treatments. The diet treatments consisted in basal diet (BD), BD + 1.0 % of Anacardium occidentale L. leaf powder, and BD + 1.5 % of A. occidentale leaf powder. Besides, the incidence of diarrhea was calculated 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after inducing diarrhea with castor oil. Then, five birds were sacrificed per treatment and the accessory immune organs and all the viscera were weighed. The intestinal pH was analyzed, and the hematocrit levels were analyzed. The initial and final live weights and feed consumption of diarrheal newborn birds remained stable (P > 0.05) among the treatments. Likewise, the relative weights of liver, glandular stomach, muscular stomach, and small and large intestine did not have statistical differences (P > 0.05). However, supplementation with the medicinal powder modified (P < 0.05) the relative weight of pancreas, heart, thyme, and bursa of Fabricius. The T2 treatment (1.5 %) decreased the incidence of diarrhea significantly (P < 0.05) compared to the other treatments. However, the experimental treatments did not alter (P > 0.05) the concentration of hematocrits in newborn birds. The supplementation of 1.5 % of Anacardium occidentale L. leaf powder is recommended for newborn birds with metabolic diarrhea.