Antioxidant status during the course of Eimeria tenella infection in broiler chickens

The antioxidant status of broiler chickens (Cobb 500 hybrids) infected with Eimeria tenella was monitored by determining blood plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The results of the experiment showed an increase in MDA – a marker of radical-induced damage of E. tenella-infected birds, compared to healthy chickens (3.01 μmol/L vs. 2.55 μmol/L, P < 0.05). Correspondingly, a decreased SOD activity was observed in infected birds compared to controls (2429.0 U/g Hb vs. 3044.6 U/g Hb, P < 0.05). Furthermore, CAT activity in infected birds was higher than in healthy ones (2242.2 U/g Hb vs. 1367.0 U/g Hb, P < 0.001). The observed enzyme changes suggest an impaired antioxidant status of chickens during the course of an E. tenella infection and the occurrence of oxidative stress following infection. Alterations in the caecum, oocyst production, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were indicative of a severe infection involving pathogenic oxidative stress and impaired ecological oxidative balance.