Serum biochemical and hematological responses of broiler chickens to herbal-origin anticoccidial supplementation during experimental Eimeria infection

Introduction Coccidiosis is one of the most economically important diseases in poultry production, prompting increasing interest in natural alternatives to conventional anticoccidial drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical and hematological response of broiler chicken serum to an herbal anticoccidial supplement during experimental Eimeria infection. Methods A total of 1,200 Ross 308 broilers were assigned to four groups ( n = 300): non-infected ( − ) and infected ( + ) birds receiving either conventional chemical anticoccidials (UC) or the herbal-origin anticoccidial additive (HA). Blood samples were collected on days 10 and 35 to assess serum biochemical parameters, differential leukocyte profiles and lymphocyte morphology. Results Age significantly affected total protein, albumin, AST, GGT, calcium and iron concentrations ( p < 0.05). A significant group effect was observed for ALT activity ( p = 0.036) and magnesium concentration ( p = 0.013), while a significant G x A interaction was found for urea concentration ( p = 0.040). Significant differences between the groups were also identified band and segmented heterophils, lymphocytes and monocytes, while lymphocyte morphology differed significantly among groups and sampling periods ( p < 0.05). Discussion The study results indicate that the use of a herbal anticoccidial additive was associated with changes in certain serum biochemical and hematological parameters during experimental Eimeria infection, without causing adverse changes in the physiological condition of the broilers. These results suggest that herbal anticoccidial supplements may be a promising natural strategy to support the immune response during coccidiosis.