Anthelmintic Effects of Betel Nut to Free-Range Chicken

: The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Processed Betel Nut as an anthelmintic to Free-Range Chickens. The research employed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and utilized 90 heads of uniformed experimental free–range chickens. The experimental birds were divided into 5 treatment combinations replicated thrice as follows: C-(pure water), C+ (commercial anthelmintic), S 1 L 1 (Betel nut extract (10ml), S 1 L 2 (Betel nut extract (20ml), S 1 L 3 – Betel nut extract (30ml). The anthelmintic effect was observed during days 1,2,3,7,14,21, and 28 of the study. Prior to the allotment of the birds, fecal samples were collected after 21 days of rearing for pre-fecalysis to ensure that all of these were infected with internal parasites. After this, administration of the different treatments was done. This was followed by the collection of fecal samples on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after the administration of the different treatments. The fecal samples collected were given a drop of lactic acid solvent and placed in properly labeled plastic bags. Direct Fecal Smear (DFS) was used in examining the fecal samples collected Results revealed that betel nuts at 20ml level were the best on the growth performance. Betel nut at 30ml level was comparable to that of the experimental birds in commercial anthelmintic. It is then recommended the utilization of betel nut at 20 ml in terms of growth performance and betel nut at 30 ml as herbal anthelmintic to free-range chickens.


Introduction
The majority of the families in the rural community raise free-range chickens as a source of income if not for family consumption it could serve as savings for farmers that could anytime easily converted into cash.Raising native chickens has evolved to survive and reproduce in marginal environments with minimal management.However, internal parasites were then a wide problem.thus new technology arises to resolve the problem and also to view the cost of chemical dewormer and the preference of consumers for organically produced animals.
In this study, the researcher tried to find out the effectiveness of betel nut as a dewormer for freerange chickens.

Materials and Methods
This study employed the experimental design of research and was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD).A total of 90 heads of uniformed-sized free-range chicken regardless of sex were purposively used in this study.Allotment of treatment in each experimental cage was done using a table of random numbers.Initial fecalysis was conducted to confirm that all experimental birds are Suggested Citation Dasugo, A.D. (2024).Anthelmintic Effects of Betel Nut to Free-Range Chicken.European Journal of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, 2(3), 18-23.DOI: 10.59324/ejtas.2024.2(3).02positive for gastrointestinal helminths.The freerange chickens were distributed to 5 treatment combinations with 3 replications.These were administered with processed young betel nut at different dosages where Treatment 1-Negative Control, Treatment 2-Commercial Anthelmintic, Treatment 3-10 ml processed Betel Nut, Treatment 4-20ml Processed Betel Nut, Treatment 5-30ml Processed Betel Nut.The processed betel nuts were administered to the experimental birds at different levels as stipulated in the different treatments a day after the allotment of the birds.This was followed by the collection of fecal samples on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after the administration of the different treatments.Direct Fecal Smear (DFS) was used in examining the fecal samples collected.Data on the initial weight, final weight, feed consumption, feed conversion efficiency Gastrointestinal Helminths present, and Posttreatment egg per gram (EPG) count were gathered to measure the efficacy of Betel nut as anthelmintic.

Growth Performance
Table 1 shows the growth performance of freerange chickens in terms of initial, final and gain weight as affected by different levels of betel nuts.Note: ns-not significant; *significant;** highly significant

Initial Weight
As reflected in Table 1, it reveals that the initial weight of the experimental birds ranged from .277kg (S1L1) to .293kg in S1L3.Data showed that there is no significant difference among treatment means as supported by the computed F-test of 0.06 which is greater than 0.05 alpha level.This implies that the birds assigned to the different treatments have comparable weights at the start of the study since the birds are yet to be subjected to the different treatments.

Final Weight
Table 1 shows the final weight of the experimental birds at different levels.It reveals that the treatment means ranged from .605kg in C-to .771kg in S1L2.Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant result at 0.01 to 0.05 alpha levels .This may be due to the presence of parasites in the C-(negative control) treatment that leads to the low performance of experimental birds on their final weight while the other treatments gained a higher final weight because of the lower number of parasites.

Gain in Weight
As reflected also in Table 1, the total gain in weight of free-range chickens ranged from .313kg in C-to .491kg in S1L2.Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant difference since the F-test is lower than the tabular value of 0.01 alpha level.This implies that giving anthelmintic to free-range chickens improved the gain in weight of the chicken as the betel nuts expel the parasites.
This finding justifies that there was a quick weight gain of birds after administration, thus the betel nut helped in the increase in body weight of the animals due to its effectiveness in expelling parasites, thus resulting in a higher gain in weight.

Feed Consumption
Table 2 shows the feed consumption on different levels of anthelmintic of free-range chickens.The results revealed that the highest mean is reflected both in C-(negative control) C+ (positive control), S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) ,SIL3 (betel nut at 30ml), with a mean of 2.244kg, followed by S1L2 (betel nut at 20ml) with a lowest mean of 2.139kg, it was revealed that there is no significant difference among treatment means as supported by the computed F-test of 0.56, which is greater than 0.05 alpha levels.This implies that administering betel nuts anthelmintic was comparable to that of commercial anthelmintic as to feed consumption.Table 2 shows also the feed conversion efficiency of free-range chickens in kinds and level of anthelmintic.It reveals that experimental birds under S1L2 (betel nut at 20ml) were the best feed converters with a mean of 2.77, followed by C+ (positive control) with a mean of 2.93, S1L3 (betel nut at 30ml) with a mean of 2.96, S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) with a mean of 3.04, and the highest mean obtained by C-(negative control) and found to be the poorest feed converters with a mean of 3.70.it showed a highly significant difference as supported by the F-test value of 0.00.This implies that administering betel nuts at varying levels had significantly affected the feed conversion efficiency of the free-range chickens.

Gastrointestinal Helminths Identified
Table 3 presents the gastrointestinal helminths identified from the feces of the experimental chickens during the pre-treatment egg per gram (EPG) counting using the direct fecal smear technique.The identified species of gastrointestinal helminth was Ascaradia galli eggs.
Identification was based on the morphological structures of eggs with the aid of a microscope.
Ascaridia galli is a parasitic roundworm belonging to the ascarids.They occur worldwide and are very common in chickens.Infection by Ascaridia galli can occur in chickens of all ages, but the greatest degree of damage is often found in young birds under 12 weeks of age.Heavy infection by Ascaridia galli is characterized by retarded growth, emaciation, anorexia, anemia, diarrhea, dehydration and decreases in body weight and egg production.

Efficacy of Betel Nut to Free-Range Chicken
Table 4 shows the percentage efficacy of the different treatments of egg per gram count of parasites expelled by the experimental animals from day 1 to 28 post treatment.The results were interpreted based from the standard criterion set by FAO guidelines (1999) on the efficacy of anthelmintic preparation.Table 4 shows the egg per gram count as affected by the kinds of anthelmintic at different levels from day 1 to day 28 post treatments.
The average percent reduction in egg per gram count of Ascaradia galli in free-range chickens showed that at day 1, birds treated with commercial anthelmintic had the highest mean of 14.67 percent, followed by S1L3 (betel nut at 30ml) with a mean of 11.33, S1L2(betel nut at 20ml) with a mean of 6.67, S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) with a mean of 4.33, and C-(negative control) with a lowest mean of 0.67.Analysis of variance revealed a highly significant result.This implies that administering betel nut and tamarind seeds at different levels as anthelmintic varies.
On day 2 post-treatment, C-(negative control) obtained the highest mean of 33.33, followed by S1L3 (betel nut at 30ml) with a mean of 20.16, C+(positive control) with a mean of 15.48, S1L2 (betel nut at 20ml) with a mean of 10.60, while S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) obtained the lowest mean of 1.48.
Analysis of variance revealed a non-significant result as supported by the F-test value of 0.49.This implies that the efficacy of betelnut and commercial anthelmintic on day 2 are comparable.
On day 3, post-treatment, C-(negative control) had a mean of 33.33, followed by C+ (positive control) with a mean of 10.72, S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) with a mean of 5.00, S1L3 (betel nut at 30ml) with a mean of 3.61, while S1L2 (betel nut at 20ml) obtained the lowest mean of 3.43.Analysis of variance shows not significant results as the F-test value of 0.05 was the same as the tabular F-value of 0.05 which means that giving betel nuts, and commercial anthelmintic was comparable to the C-at day 3 post-treatment.
On the 7 th day post treatment, C+ (positive control) obtained the highest mean of 41.36, followed by S1L3 (betel nut at 30ml) with a mean of 31.12,S1L2(betel nut at 20ml) with a mean of 15.6, S1L1 with a mean of 10.00, while the C-(negative control)obtained the lowest mean of 3.33.
Analysis of variance revealed a not significant difference since the F-test was greater than the tabular F-value of 0.05 alpha level.This implies that all of the levels were comparable wherein they did not show an effective anthelmintic effect based from the guidelines set by FAO 1999.
On the 14 th day of post treatment, C+ (positive control) had a mean of 52.87, followed by S1L3 (betel nut at 30ml) with a mean of 45.51, S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) with a mean of 16.67, S1L2 (betel nut at 20ml) with a mean of 11.43, and C-(negative control) obtained the lowest mean of 3.33.A not significant difference was revealed as supported by the F-test value of 0.10 which is greater than the tabular F-value of 0.05 alpha level.This implies that giving betel nuts, and commercial anthelmintic is comparable to that negative control on day 14 post-treatment; however, it was observed that the effect of C+ (positive control) and betel nut at 10ml, 20ml, and 30ml notably increased.
On day 21 post-treatment, the result shows that C+ (positive control), S1L2 (betel nut at 20ml) and S1L3(betel nut at 30ml) obtained the highest mean of 100.00, followed by S1L1 (betel nut at 10ml) with a mean of 83.33, C-(negative control) with the mean of 23.33, Analysis of variance showed highly significant results as supported by the F-test value of 0.00 which is lower than the tabular F-value of 0.01.This implies that betel nut at 20 and 30 ml was found to be highly effective in expelling helminths at day 21 based on the guidelines set by FAO (1999).Susanti et al. (2014) mentioned that the effectiveness of betel nut showed in third week upon administration at to 20 and 30 ml levels.
On the 28-day post-treatment, the result reveals that C+ (positive control), S1L1(betel nut at 10ml), S1L2(betel nut at 20ml), and S1L3(betel nut at 30ml) obtained the highest mean of 100.00 followed by C-(negative control) had a mean of 30.00.Analysis of variance revealed highly significant results based on the F-test value of 0.00 which is lower than the tabular F-value of 0.01.This implies that betel nuts at all levels were comparable to commercial anthelmintic but not comparable to negative control.
Based on the overall results on the effects of anthelmintic at different levels, it was found out that on day 1 to day 7 betel nuts, and commercial anthelmintic were ineffective based from the criteria set by FAO 1999 guidelines; however, in day 14, it was observed that the effectiveness of betel nut at all levels and commercial anthelmintic started to raise but still did not meet the standard guidelines set by FAO (1999).On day 21 the commercial anthelmintic, betel nut at 20ml and 30ml showed a high efficacy based from the guidelines set by FAO (1999).On day 28, it was observed that betel nut at all levels showed a high efficacy which is comparable to commercial anthelmintic.

Conclusion
Based on the results and findings of the conducted study, the following conclusions were drawn: Using young betel nut at 20ml level was the best on the growth performance of freerange chickens in terms of final weight, gain in weight, and feed conversion efficiency.Betel nut at 30ml was the most effective on the growth performance of free-range chickens and on the control of gastrointestinal helminths.Ascaradia galli, a gastrointestinal roundworm was the only gastrointestinal helminth found in the experimental animals.Using processed betel nut at 20 ml to 30 ml level was highly effective on days 21 to 28 at 100 percent.In negative control, Betel nut at 10 ml was anthelmintic ineffective for the whole duration of the study.Betel nuts at 20 and 30ml were comparable to commercial anthelmintic as highly effective at day 21 and 28 at 100 percent.

Acknowledgment
"In the present world of competition, there is a race of existence in which those who have having will to come forward succeed.Research is like a bridge between theoretical and practical writing".
I would like to acknowledge and give the warmest thanks to all of my motivations who