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

Resumen

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 with three treatments was applied. The treatments consisted in a basal diet (BD) + 1.0 % leaf powder of Anacardium occidentale, and BD + 1.5 % leaf powder of A. occidentale. The accumulated food consumption and initial and final live weights were determined. Additionally, the occurrence 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 and immune organs, and all the viscera were weighed. The intestinal pH and hematocrits were analyzed. The initial and final live weights, and food 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 intestines did not have statistical differences (P >0.05). However, supplementation with the medicinal powder modified (P <0.05) the relative weight of pancreas, heart, thymus, 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% leaf powder of Anacardium occidentale L. is recommended for newborn chicks with metabolic diarrhea.