Ameliorative effect of Aloe vera supplementation on the growth indices, intestinal health and oocysts shedding under an experimentally challenged with coccidia in Japanese quails

Coccidia poses significant challenges to poultry farming, impacting productivity and welfare. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Aloe vera supplementation in managing coccidial infection in quails. A total of 360 one-day-old quails chicks were divided into five groups (six replicates with twelve birds per replicate) and challenged with mixed sporulated oocysts of Eimeria species (E. tenella, E. nicatrix, E. maxima, E. mitis). The groups included a positive control (infected, untreated), negative control (uninfected, untreated), and three treatment groups: Amprolium (1 g/l water), Aloe vera 2% (AV2), and Aloe vera 4% (AV4). Results demonstrated significant (p < 0.01) improvement in feed consumption, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in Aloe vera supplemented groups compared to the positive control. Histomorphological analysis revealed restoration of gut health in supplemented groups, characterised by increased villus height, crypt depth, and improved villus height-to-crypt depth ratio. Furthermore, mortality and lesion scores significantly reduced(p < 0.01) in 4% Aloe vera supplemented quails. Aloe vera supplementation showed promising efficacy in mitigating the negative impact of coccidial infection on quail performance and gut health. These results demonstrated that supplementing the diet with 4% Aloe vera effectively restored productive performance, as well as lesion score and microscopic intestinal histological features, in Eimeria-infected quails.