J. S. Rabo

This study on chronic toxicity of neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf aqueous extract in chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) involved daily intraperitoneal administration of graded doses: 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg of the extract for a period of 18 days. Clinical symptoms of ruffled feathers, weakness, anorexia, depression, and dyspnoea were observed at 20 minutes post exposure extract-dose dependent, and death intervened on day 6 post exposure.

Acute toxicity of Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf aqueous extract was tested on chickens; and the median lethal dose (LD50) was calculated. Both clinical signs, gross lesion and microscopic lesions at post mortem were recorded.

The anticoccidial efficacy of the aqueous neem leaf extract in comparison to amprolium showed that the aqueous extract dose of 800mg/kg compared favourably with 10mg/litre of amprolium in treating the disease, both showed 100% survival rates for infected and treated chickens with zero oocyst per gram at day 4 post treatment. Also, the mean weight (grams) of infected and treated chickens improved significantly (P<0.05) at day 7-post treatment.