Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (1): 526-539.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2026.01.046

• CLINICAL VETERINARY MEDICINE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effect of Radix dichroa Powder on Intestinal Mechanical Barrier of Chicks Infected with Coccidia at Different Developmental Stages

GUO Zhiting1,2(), SUN Huanhuan1, LIU Shuning1, LI Jianxi2, ZHANG Shaobo2, LIU Yuan2, LUO Xiaoqin2, WEI Xiaocheng1, LI Chengyi1()   

  1. 1.College of Pharmacy,Gansu University of Chinese Medicine,Lanzhou,Gansu Provicne 730000,China
    2.Key Lab of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development,Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & Technology Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Veterinary,Gansu Province,Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Lanzhou 730050,China
  • Received:2025-04-08 Online:2026-01-23 Published:2026-01-26
  • Contact: LI Chengyi E-mail:guozhiting@caas.cn;gslichengyi@163.com

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Radix dichroapowder (RDP) on intestinal mechanical barrier at different developmental stages of chicks infected with coccidia. The experiment was divided into 6 groups, which were administered on the day before the challenge, the day of the attack, and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th days after the attack.Each experimental group included Group I (Healthy control group), Group Ⅱ (Infection control group) and Group Ⅲ (RDP recommended dose group). At the end of the administration, the chick cecum of each group were collected to make pathological sections. The immunohistochemical analysis of intestinal tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-1 were performed by Pro PLUS 6.0 image software, and the secretion of intestinal goblet cells and mucin were determined.The results showed that compared with Group Ⅰ, the expression levels of occludin protein, claudin-1 protein, and intestinal mucin in Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ were significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the number of goblet cells was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with Group Ⅱ, the expression of the above three proteins of Group Ⅲ were significantly improved (P<0.05), and the number of goblet cells were increased from the day before the challenge to 3 days after the challenge. However, with the continuous development of coccidia in chicks and the delay in administration time, the above three proteins in Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ were markedly decreased on the 4th and 5th day of challenge (P>0.05), and the goblet cells disapeared.In summary, RDP can reduce the damage of coccidia to the host intestinal tract, improve the secretion of intestinal barrier protein, and reduce the damage of coccidia to the intestinal structure; the earlier the drug is administered after the challenge, the better the improvement of intestinal damage caused by coccidia.

Key words: Radix dichroa powder, chicks, coccidia, intestine, mechanical barrier

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