In vitro efficacy of allicin on chicken Eimeria tenella sporozoites

Chicken coccidiosis is a major parasitic disease caused by Eimeria spp. It is controlled and treated using chemical anticoccidial agents. Development of partial or complete resistance toward these anticoccidials is considered a major problem in poultry industry. Allicin is an organosulfur compound produced as a result of the reaction between alliin and alliinase after hacking of garlic. In this study, tenfold dilution from 180 mg/ml to 1.8 ng/ml of allicin in distilled water was tested against E. tenella in vitro. The percent of inhibition in allicin was from 99.9 to 71.53% using 180 mg/ml and 180 ng/ml, respectively. The percent of inhibition was 56.24% using 1.8 ng/ml. We used allicin as a treatment from plants against chicken coccidiosis; however, in vivo study should be performed to confirm these results.