Green Tea Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Green Tea, including details on benefits, antioxidants, weight loss, diet, side effects.

Anticoccidial effect of green tea-based diets against Eimeria maxima.

Jang SI, Jun MH, Lillehoj HS, Dalloul RA, Kong IK, Kim S, Min W

College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Republic of Korea.

Anticoccidial effects of green tea (GT)-based diets were evaluated in chickens following oral infection with Eimeria maxima an ubiquitous intestinal parasite of poultry that impairs the growth and feed efficiency of infected birds. Five-week-old chickens were assigned to four groups (GT 0.5%, GT 2.0%, untreated/infected and non-infected control) and each group consisted of 15 chickens. Chickens were fed a standard diet supplemented with ground green tea for 2 weeks prior to infection with E. maxima (10,000 sporulated oocysts per bird). The effects of green tea on E. maxima infection were assessed by two parameters, fecal oocyst shedding and body weight gain. The green tea-fed chickens produced significantly reduced fecal oocysts (P<0.05) when compared to the E. maxima-infected group fed standard diet. The green tea-based diet, however, did not improve body weight loss caused by E. maxima infection. This study is the first to demonstrate anticoccidial effect of green tea on Eimeria parasites.

Published 6 February 2007 in Vet Parasitol, 144(1): 172-5.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Green Tea Research Today. All Rights Reserved.