Anticoccidial efficacy of Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) in goats in central Kashmir

Abstract

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) against Eimeria species of goats in central Kashmir. Although rhizomes of these herbs are potential alternatives to coccidiostats, their use has not been properly documented. For this purpose, 71 animals harbouring E. arloingi, E. caprina, E. christenseni, E. ninakohlyakimovae and E.alijevi with an overall OPG of above 6000 were randomly selected and divided into 5 groups (group A, group B, group C, group D and group E).Group A (n=15) received turmeric @ 300 mg/kg body weight/day, group B (n= 13) received turmeric @450mg/kg body weight/day, group C (n=15) received ginger @ 300mg/kg body weight, group D (n=13) received ginger@ 450mg/kg body weight, orally for 7 days in each group and group E (n=15) was kept as untreated infected control. Faecal samples from rectum were directly collected on ‘0’ day before treatment and on 8th, 14th, 21st and 28thday after starting treatment. All treatments resulted in decreased oocyst counts post-treatment compared to before treatment. The maximum efficacy of turmeric@300mg/kg body weight was observed on day 21 as 63.53% while as turmeric@ 450mg/kg body weight had the maximum efficacy of 77.49% on day 21, after starting treatment.Ginger@300mg/kg body weight revealed the maximum efficacy on day 21 as 63.01% while as ginger@ 450mg/kg body weight showed the maximum efficacy of 60.44% on day 21 after starting treatment. Turmeric at both the doses and ginger at 300mg/kg b.wt showed significant difference of efficacy on day 8 with all other days (P