Antibacterial Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Zehneria scabra on Quails Artificially Infected with Salmonella Enteritidis

Antimicrobial use in livestock is faced with various challenges including emergence of antimicrobial resistance and presence of drug residues in meat products, hence the need for alternatives. The aim of this work was to assess the effect a plant (Zehneria scabra) extract on Salmonella infected quails, as an alternative to antibiotic therapy. Quails were randomly assigned into six groups each containing twelve birds. The neutral control (T0) group was not infected and received tap water whereas other groups were infected. The negative control (T-) received tap water. The positive control (T+) received a single dose of oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg). T1, T2 andT3 orally received the plant extract at the following respective doses: 9, 18 and 37 mg/kg. Quails were infected by oral administration of a single dose of Salmonella Enteritidis (105 CFU). Haematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated. From day 2 to day 9 to day 16, the bacterial load of all treatment groups (T+, T1, T2, T3) decreased. The infection resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, total cholesterol and white blood cells, and a significant decrease in the liver and kidney protein content. The treatment resulted in the correction of the aforementioned effects. The plant extract (18 mg/kg) is as effective as oxytetracycline, and can be safely used in phytomedicine for the treatment of Salmonella Enteritidis infection without kidney and liver damage.