Areca catechu L. extract powder ameliorates Eimeria tenella-induced coccidiosis in chicks through anti-inflammatory effects, growth promotion, hematological restoration, and gut microbiota modulation

Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) causes economic serious losses in poultry due to increasing drug resistance. We developed a herbal formula, Areca catechu L. extract powder (Binglang Tiqusan, BLTQS), to evaluate its effects against coccidiosis. Ninety chicks were divided into six groups, uninfected; E. tenella infection; Tie-Feng-Kang-Qiu-San-treated (10 g/kg feed) and E. tenella infection group; BLTQS-treated with low, medium, and high doses (0.25-1 g/kg feed) and E. tenella infection group. Treatments were administered from day 12 to 21, and infection was introduced on day 14. On day 22, a comprehensive assessment was conducted, encompassing growth performance, clinical indicators, histopathology, inflammatory cytokine levels, hematological parameters, and gut microbiota composition. The results showed that medium and high doses of BLTQS significantly improved weight gain, reduced fecal oocyst counts, lesion scores, and bloody diarrhea. Histopathology showed fewer parasites in the cecum. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and blood parameters improved, and gut microbiota balance was restored. BLTQS (especially 0.5-1 g/kg) showed strong anti-coccidial effects, highlighting its promise as a natural, antibiotic-free approach to control E. tenella while promoting gut health.