Spleen Histopathological Evaluation of Broiler Chickens Challenged with Escherichia coli and Its Effect Towards the Combination of Javanese Cardamom and Turmeric Herbs

Given the increasing global concern over antimicrobial resistance in poultry health, this study investigated the potential of Javanese cardamom essential oil (JCEO) and dried turmeric (DT) as alternative therapies for colibacillosis by evaluating their effects on the spleen organ. A total of 72 Cobb-strain day-old chickens were allocated into eight groups, which received different doses of JCEO (0.06 mL/kg BW and 0.1 mL/kg BW), DT (400 mg/kg feed) and ciprofloxacin. Infection was induced intraperitoneally (<i>E. coli</i> O78 strain, 10⁶ CFU/mL/chicken) at 28 days, while the treatments were administered orally from day 7 to week 5. Histopathological evaluation was graded on a 1-5 scale based on the five primary lesion criteria. The herb combination groups had the lowest severity grade, characterized by compact lymphoid follicles and reduced vasculitis. The JCEO single-dose group, both in vitro and in vivo, reduced bacterial growth and had a mild vasculitis score, indicating its antibacterial activity. In contrast, the single treatment of DT and the antibiotic groups showed moderate spleen lesion damage. These findings suggest that JCEO acts bactericidally, while DT provides an anti-inflammatory effect, and both combinations work synergistically.