Application of Sichuan pepper extract in medicine preparation

Abstract

The invention relates to application of a pericarpium zanthoxyli extract in preparation of a medicine, and belongs to the technical field of medical preparations. According to the application of the pericarpium zanthoxyli extract in preparing the medicine for preventing and / or treating the chicken eimeria tenella disease, when the pericarpium zanthoxyli extract is used for preparing the medicine for preventing and / or treating the chicken eimeria tenella disease, the prepared medicine has a good preventing and treating effect on the chicken eimeria tenella disease; meanwhile, as the Sichuan pepper extract is derived from Sichuan pepper, when the medicine prepared by taking the Sichuan pepper extract as an effective component is used for preventing and treating the chicken eimeria tenella coccidiosis, the generation of coccidiosis drug resistance is avoided, and the generation of drug residues which are finally harmful to human health is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to application of a Sichuan pepper extract in preparing medicines, and belongs to the technical field of pharmaceutical preparations. Background Art

[0002] Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by Eimeria spp. that infects the intestinal epithelial cells of chickens. It is prevalent worldwide and causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Coccidiosis most commonly occurs in chicks aged 10 to 30 days, with laying hens being particularly susceptible. Intensive farming practices, high density and poor air circulation make outbreaks and the spread of the disease more likely. Chickens infected with coccidiosis suffer from cecal bleeding, anemia, and decreased immunity, which can lead to other diseases. If not promptly treated, it can cause widespread mortality in the flock. Even those that survive suffer from poor disease resistance and low feed conversion rates, undoubtedly causing significant economic losses to the poultry industry. The main pathogens causing coccidiosis include seven species: E. tenella, E. acervulina, E. maxima, and E. toxicophila. Epidemiological surveys show that E. tenella has the highest infection rate and poses the greatest threat to chickens.

[0003] The life cycle of E. tenella includes three stages: spore reproduction, schizogony and gametogony. Figure 1 Mature, sporulated oocysts from the environment enter the chicken's digestive tract with feed and drinking water. Under the action of gastrointestinal digestive juices, the oocyst wall ruptures, releasing sporozoites. These sporozoites then invade the intestinal epithelial cells of the chicken's cecal mucosa and undergo schizontogenesis. After several generations of schizontogenesis, some merozoites develop into megagametocytes or microgametocytes, which fuse to form a zygote. The zygote matures in the cecal epithelial cells and forms an oocyst, which is then excreted. When the ambient temperature and humidity are optimal, the oocyst undergoes sporulation, forming four sporocysts, each of which contains two sporozoites. Oocysts at this stage are called sporulated oocysts and can reinfect chicks.

[0004] Currently, the prevention and treatment of Eimeria tenella coccidiosis in chickens primarily relies on chemical drugs. Prolonged use of these drugs can lead to the development of drug resistance in coccidia. Drugs with reported resistance include amprolium, clotrimazole, clofenac, monensin, maduramycin, baclofenac, salinomycin, lasalocid, maduramycin, halofuginone, diclazuril, clopidogrel, clopidogrel, and senduramycin. Furthermore, chemical drug residues can remain in livestock products, potentially posing a threat to humans. However, Chinese herbal medicines are abundant in my country, offering advantages such as widespread availability, low cost, minimal toxicity, and safety, making them a natural treatment for coccidiosis in chickens.

[0005] Sichuan pepper, also known as Bajiao, Hanjiao, and Chuanjiao, is described in the Compendium of Materia Medica as pungent, warm, and slightly toxic. It is known for its pungent flavor and can treat edema and jaundice. It is named for its primary production in Sichuan and Chongqing, China, where it often grows wild in bushes along roadsides and on hillsides, but is also cultivated. Although Sichuan pepper belongs to the Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim family, it is a distinct plant from Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim), differing significantly in morphology, origin, and pharmacological properties. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that Sichuan pepper has the properties of warming the middle and dispelling cold, promoting qi and stimulating appetite, and is commonly used to treat symptoms such as abdominal coldness, cold-damp stagnation, abdominal pain, and cold-damp beriberi. Sichuan pepper is used as a seasoning in daily life and also has the properties of warming the middle and promoting qi, expelling cold, relieving pain, and killing insects. It is often used to treat stomach and abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and to expel schistosomiasis and roundworms. Sichuan pepper has a laterally flattened base, sparse stems and branches that tilt slightly upward, with thorns on the skin, and young branches covered with short soft hairs. The fruit is light orange-yellow. Zanthoxylum bungeanum has more stems and branches with short thorns, but the thorns often fall off early. The thorns on the twigs are broad and flat at the base, and the fruit is red or dark red.

[0006] The main chemical components of Sichuan pepper include volatile and non-volatile components. Volatile components include limonene, eucalyptol, linalool, and eucalyptol, which are the primary components of Sichuan pepper's unique aroma. Non-volatile components are primarily sanshoamides, including α-sanshool, β-sanshool, γ-sanshool, hydroxy-α-sanshool, hydroxy-β-sanshool, and hydroxy-γ-sanshool. Currently, Dajianzhong Decoction, which contains Sichuan pepper as a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient, has been incorporated into Japan's healthcare system, primarily for the treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders. Sichuan pepper extract also exhibits antibacterial, antiviral, lipid-lowering properties, and other transdermal permeability-enhancing properties. However, there are no reports of Sichuan pepper extract being used to treat coccidiosis in chickens caused by E. tenella infection. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a use of a Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a medicament for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella in chickens, so as to solve the technical problem that existing chemical drugs easily lead to drug resistance and drug residues when treating Eimeria tenella in chickens.

[0008] The present invention also provides a use of Sichuan pepper extract in preparing a medicine for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, without causing coccidia drug resistance and drug residue.

[0009] The present invention also provides a use of Sichuan pepper extract in preparing a medicine for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, without causing coccidia drug resistance and drug residue.

[0010] The present invention also provides a use of Sichuan pepper extract in preparing a drug for reducing the degree of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, without causing coccidia drug resistance and drug residue.

[0011] In order to achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0012] The invention discloses a method for preparing a drug for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella in chickens using a Sichuan pepper extract. The method not only provides a drug with good preventive and therapeutic effects for Eimeria tenella in chickens, but also, because the Sichuan pepper extract is derived from Sichuan pepper, the drug prepared using the extract as an active ingredient does not cause drug resistance in the chickens and does not produce drug residues that could ultimately harm human health.

[0013] In order to reduce the use cost of the Sichuan pepper extract, the Sichuan pepper extract is further selected from a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract. The Sichuan pepper alcohol extract is preferably a Sichuan pepper ethanol extract.

[0014] Use of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a medicament for increasing the weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella. When Sichuan pepper extract is used to prepare a medicament for increasing the weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, the prepared medicament can significantly increase the weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, and does not cause the development of drug resistance in coccidia or produce drug residues during use.

[0015] In order to reduce the use cost of the Sichuan pepper extract, the Sichuan pepper extract is further selected from a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract. The Sichuan pepper alcohol extract is preferably a Sichuan pepper ethanol extract.

[0016] Use of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a drug for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella. When Sichuan pepper extract is used to prepare a drug for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, the prepared drug can significantly improve the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, and does not cause the development of drug resistance in coccidia or produce drug residues during use.

[0017] In order to reduce the use cost of the Sichuan pepper extract, the Sichuan pepper extract is further selected from a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract. The Sichuan pepper alcohol extract is preferably a Sichuan pepper ethanol extract.

[0018] Use of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a drug for reducing the severity of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella. When Sichuan pepper extract is used to prepare a drug for reducing the severity of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, the prepared drug can reduce the severity of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, and does not cause the development of drug resistance in coccidia or produce drug residues during use.

[0019] In order to reduce the use cost of the Sichuan pepper extract, the Sichuan pepper extract is further selected from a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract. The Sichuan pepper alcohol extract is preferably a Sichuan pepper ethanol extract.

[0020] It is understandable that, since the Sichuan pepper extract is to be used as an active ingredient in the above-mentioned medicines, a non-toxic and harmless extraction solvent should be used when obtaining the Sichuan pepper extract of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the life cycle of chicken coccidia, where: 1-mature oocyst formation, 2-oocyst, 3-sporangium, 4-sporozoite, 5-nucleus, 6-sporophyte, 7-trophozoite, 8-first generation schizont, 9-schizont spore, 10-second generation trophozoite, 11-second generation schizont, 12-schizont spore, 13-male gamete, 14-female gamete, 15-fertilized oocyst;

[0022] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cecal tissue morphology of chickens observed by HE staining in the experimental example, wherein: a1, a2 and a3 are the cecal tissue morphology of chickens in the control group, b1, b2 and b3 are the cecal tissue morphology of chickens in the infection group, c1, c2 and c3 are the cecal tissue morphology of chickens in the Sichuan pepper water extract group, and d1, d2 and d3 are the cecal tissue morphology of chickens in the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The technical solution of the present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific implementation methods.

[0024] Example 1

[0025] The use of the Sichuan pepper extract of this embodiment in preparing a medicament for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella infection in chickens, or in preparing a medicament for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, or in preparing a medicament for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, or in preparing a medicament for reducing the degree of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, comprises the following steps:

[0026] Weigh 100g of Sichuan pepper and place it in a beaker, add 1000mL of distilled water and soak it for 2h, then transfer it to a decoction pot; boil it over medium-high heat, maintain it over a low heat for 30min, and filter the medicinal liquid through a 60-mesh sieve; then add 1000mL of distilled water to the medicinal residue, boil it over high heat, simmer it for 30min, and filter it again; combine the filtrates obtained from the two filtrations and concentrate them under reduced pressure to 100mL to obtain a Sichuan pepper water extract with a concentration of 1g crude drug / mL. The Sichuan pepper water extract is a drug for preventing and / or treating chicken Eimeria tenella infection, a drug for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, a drug for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, and a drug for reducing cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.

[0027] Example 2

[0028] The use of the Sichuan pepper extract of this embodiment in the preparation of a medicament for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella disease in chickens, or in the preparation of a medicament for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, or in the preparation of a medicament for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, or in the preparation of a medicament for reducing the degree of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, comprises the following steps: weighing 100 g of Sichuan pepper and placing it in a beaker, adding 1000 mL of ethanol (solid-liquid ratio of 1:10), sonicating for 1 hour, and then extracting in the dark for 24 hours; filtering the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract with Whatman No. 1 qualitative filter paper, and placing the filtrate on a rotary evaporator to concentrate under reduced pressure to fully evaporate the ethanol to obtain a Sichuan pepper ethanol extract total extract (extraction yield 14.3%). The prepared Sichuan pepper ethanol extract is dissolved in 2% Tween-80 to prepare a 50 mg / mL medicinal solution (1 mL contains 0.35 g of the crude drug); the medicinal solution is a drug for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella disease in chickens, a drug for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, a drug for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, and a drug for reducing cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.

[0029] The medicines prepared in Example 1 and Example 2 were sterilized by high pressure moist heat, cooled, and placed in a refrigerator at 4° C. for later use.

[0030] Clinical trial of Sichuan pepper extract in preventing and treating chicken coccidiosis

[0031] 1 Test materials

[0032] 1.1 Test oocysts

[0033] E. tenella sporulated oocysts: preserved in the Drug Development and Evaluation Laboratory, College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology.

[0034] 1.2 Trial Drugs

[0035] Sichuan pepper: purchased from Hebei Wanxiu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

[0036] 1.3 Experimental animals

[0037] A total of 100 healthy, one-day-old male Hy-Line brown-egg chicks were purchased from the Luoyang Chia Tai Group chicken farm. All chicks were housed in a dedicated experimental animal room at Henan University of Science and Technology (the room and tools used were strictly disinfected to ensure a clean, hygienic, and coccidia-free environment), with free access to water and food.

[0038] 1.4 Main Reagents

[0039] The main reagents are shown in Table 1.

[0040] Table 1 Main reagents

[0041] Reagent name Purchase manufacturer Xylene Tianjin Fuyu Chemical Co., Ltd. Anhydrous ethanol Taishan Chemical Plant in Guangdong Province Potassium dichromate Shandong Haozhong Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. 4% paraformaldehyde Shanghai Biyuntian Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Phosphate buffered saline (pH 7.4) Wuhan Savier Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Hematoxylin stain Shanghai Shuangjian Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Blue Reversion Liquid Hubei Taikang Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. Eosin stain Beijing Solebow Technology Co., Ltd. paraffin Quanta Hengyi Technology Co., Ltd.

[0042] 1.5 Main instruments and equipment

[0043] The main instruments and equipment are shown in Table 2.

[0044] Table 2 Main instruments and equipment

[0045] Device Name Manufacturer Large centrifuge Shanghai Anheng Scientific Instrument Factory Vertical pressure steam sterilizer Shanghai Boxun Industrial Co., Ltd. Medical Equipment Factory Constant temperature shaker Shanghai Jinlan Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. McMaster counting slide Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute optical microscope Shenzhen Xingming Optical Instrument Co., Ltd. drying oven Tianjin Laiborui Instrument Equipment Co., Ltd. Tissue embedding machine Hubei Wuhan Junjie Electronics Co., Ltd. tissue slicer Shanghai Leica Instruments Co., Ltd. Tissue spreading machine Zhejiang Jinhua Kedi Instrument Equipment Co., Ltd. Upright fluorescence microscope Nikon Imaging Instruments Sales Co., Ltd.

[0046] 2 Methods

[0047] 2.1 Activation of E. tenella sporulated oocysts

[0048] The sporulated oocysts of E. tenella stored in the laboratory were cultured at a rate of 3 × 10 per chicken. 4 The chickens were orally inoculated with a dose of 100 mg / kg. Fresh feces were collected on days 4, 5, 6, and 7 after inoculation and observed under a microscope for the excretion of coccidian oocysts. Once oocyst excretion was confirmed, the chickens were killed by neck dislocation on day 7 after inoculation, and fresh cecal tissue was collected. The oocysts were collected by pulverizing them in a laboratory tissue grinder, filtering, and centrifuging. The oocysts were then placed in a 2.5% potassium dichromate solution and allowed to sporulate for 24 to 48 hours in a 29°C air bath thermostat. During this period, the sporulation status of the oocysts was examined microscopically. When the sporulation rate reached 95% or higher, the culture was discontinued and stored at 4°C until further use.

[0049] 2.2 Preparation of Sichuan pepper extract

[0050] Preparation of Sichuan pepper water extract:

[0051] Weigh 100 g of Sichuan pepper and place it in a beaker. Add 1000 mL of distilled water and soak for 2 hours, then transfer it to a decoction pot; boil it over medium-high heat, then simmer it for 30 minutes, and filter the medicinal liquid through a 60-mesh sieve; then add 1000 mL of distilled water to the medicinal residue, boil it over high heat, simmer it for 30 minutes, and filter it again; combine the filtrates obtained from the two filtrations and concentrate them under reduced pressure to 100 mL to obtain a Sichuan pepper water extract with a concentration of 1 g of crude drug / mL (1 g refers to the mass of the crude drug); sterilize the medicinal liquid by high-pressure wet heat, cool it, and place it in a 4°C refrigerator for later use.

[0052] Preparation of Sichuan pepper ethanol extract solution:

[0053] Weigh 100g of Sichuan pepper and place it in a beaker. Add 1000mL of ethanol (solid-liquid ratio 1:10), sonicate for 1h, and extract in the dark for 24h. Filter the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract using Whatman No. 1 qualitative filter paper, and concentrate the filtrate on a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure to fully evaporate the ethanol to obtain 14.3g of Sichuan pepper ethanol extract (extraction yield 14.3%). Dissolve the Sichuan pepper extract in 2% tween-80 to prepare a 50mg / mL medicinal solution (concentration of 0.35g crude drug / mL containing 0.35g crude drug); sterilize the solution with high pressure wet heat, cool, and place in a 4°C refrigerator for later use.

[0054] 2.3 Experimental Grouping and Treatment

[0055] One hundred one-day-old male Hy-Line white egg chicks were fed normally under laboratory conditions for 12 days. Forty chicks of similar weight were selected and divided into groups of 10 chickens each, including the control group, the infection group, the Sichuan pepper water extract group, and the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group (see Table 3). After grouping, oral administration began once a day. The Sichuan pepper water extract group received an oral dose of 1 g of crude drug per bird per day, with an oral volume of 1 mL. The Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group received an oral dose of 0.35 g of crude drug per bird per day, with an oral volume of 1 mL. The control group and the infection group received an oral dose of 1 mL of distilled water. At 14 days of age, each chicken in the Sichuan pepper water extract group, the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group, and the infection group was orally inoculated with 1 mL of 5×10 4 Each chicken in the control group was inoculated with 1 mL of phosphate buffered saline (PBS pH = 7.4).

[0056] Table 3 Experimental animal groups

[0057]

[0058]

[0059] 2.4 Relative weight gain rate and survival rate

[0060] Relative weight gain rate = [(average final weight of Sichuan pepper group or infected group - average initial weight) ÷ (average final weight of control group - average initial weight)] × 100%.

[0061] Survival rate = [(total number of chickens in the group - number of chickens in each group that died due to coccidia infection) ÷ total number of chickens in the group] × 100%.

[0062] 2.5 Oocysts per gram (OPG) and Oocyst ratio in feces

[0063] Feces were collected between days 4 and 8 after infection, and the OPG count was calculated according to the Diagnostic Techniques for Animal Coccidiosis (GB / T 18647-2020). OPG = A1 × 200, where A1 represents the average number of oocysts per technical chamber on the McFadden plate.

[0064] Method: Stir the collected feces thoroughly, weigh 2 g, add 20 mL of saturated saline, stir thoroughly, filter thoroughly through a 60-mesh sieve, and dilute to 60 mL with saturated saline. Count the feces using a McFadden counter and calculate the average value. If the number of oocysts is too high, perform a graded dilution and multiply the result by the dilution factor. Calculate the oocyst ratio for each group.

[0065] Oocyst ratio = (number of oocysts in the healthy group or test group / number of oocysts in the infected group without drug addition) × 100%.

[0066] The values ​​were converted into oocyst values ​​according to the method of Kiyoshi Kakuta (1983) (Table 4).

[0067] Table 4 Relationship between oocyst ratio and oocyst value

[0068] Oocyst ratio Oocyst value 0～1％ 0 1～25％ 5 26～50％ 10 51～75％ 20 76～100％ 40

[0069] 2.6 Cecal lesion score

[0070] Following the method of Johnson and Reid (Johnson J, Reid W M. Anticoccidiosis drugs: lesion scoring techniques in battery and floor-open experiments with chickens [J]. Experimental Parasitology, 1970: 28: 30-36.), the cecal lesion severity after autopsy was scored. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0071] Table 5 Scoring criteria for cecal lesions

[0072]

[0073]

[0074] Lesion value = average lesion score of each group × 10.

[0075] 2.7 Anticoccidial Index (ACI)

[0076] The anticoccidial index was calculated using the Merck standard.

[0077] Anti-coccidial index (ACI) = (relative weight gain + survival rate) - (lesion value + oocyst value).

[0078] The efficacy evaluation criteria are shown in Table 6.

[0079] Table 6 ACI value scoring criteria

[0080] Score Efficacy ＜120 invalid 120～160 Moderate efficacy 160～180 Good therapeutic effect ＞180 Excellent therapeutic effect

[0081] 2.8 HE staining of chicken cecum

[0082] On the seventh day after infection, all experimental chickens were culled and fresh cecal tissue was collected. After fixation with 4% paraformaldehyde for 12 hours, the tissue was embedded and sectioned. The paraffin sections were dewaxed and stained with HE to observe changes in cecal tissue morphology and pathology.

[0083] 3 Test results

[0084] 3.1 The relative weight gain rate is shown in Table 7, and the survival rate is shown in Table 8.

[0085] Table 7 Changes in body weight of chickens in each group

[0086]

[0087]

[0088] Table 8 Survival rate of chickens in each group in clinical trial

[0089] Group Dosage (g crude drug / head / day) Number of experimental chickens Number of dead chickens Survival rate (%) Sichuan pepper water extract group 1 10 0 100 Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group 0.35 10 0 100 Infection group - 10 2 80 control group - 10 0 100

[0090] 3.2 Cecal lesion scoring

[0091] On day 8 after inoculation, all chickens were sacrificed, and cecal lesions were observed and calculated (see Table 9). The infection group had the most severe cecal lesions, with severe cecal enlargement, banana-shaped thrombi in the contents, thickened and swollen intestinal walls, and numerous hemorrhages. The Sichuan pepper water extract group had only a few hemorrhages in the cecal wall, with no or minimal thickening of the intestinal wall, and normal contents. The Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group had only a few hemorrhages in the cecal wall, with no or minimal thickening of the intestinal wall, and normal contents. No obvious pathological changes were observed in the control group.

[0092] Table 9 Cecal lesion values

[0093]

[0094] 3.3 Oocyst count in feces

[0095] No oocyst excretion was detected in the infection group and the Sichuan pepper water extract and alcohol extract groups on the 4th and 5th days, but oocyst excretion was detected on the 6th day; the peak of excretion was on the 7th day, which was much higher than the excretion on the 6th day; on the 8th day, the oocyst excretion in the infection group and the Sichuan pepper water extract and alcohol extract groups was close to that on the 6th day; no oocysts were detected in the control group.

[0096] The changes in oocyst excretion are shown in Table 10.

[0097] Table 10 Oocyst discharge in each group

[0098]

[0099]

[0100] 3.4ACI Index

[0101] Based on the above data, the ACI index was calculated, as shown in Table 11. The anticoccidial index of the Sichuan pepper group was 158.31, indicating a moderate efficacy, approaching a good level.

[0102] Table 11 Anticoccidial index of each group

[0103]

[0104] 3.5 HE staining to observe cecal tissue morphology

[0105] HE staining results are shown in Figure 2 , among which a1, a2 and a3 are the cecal tissue morphology images of the chickens in the control group, b1, b2 and b3 are the cecal tissue morphology images of the chickens in the infection group, c1, c2 and c3 are the cecal tissue morphology images of the chickens in the Sichuan pepper water extract group, and d1, d2 and d3 are the cecal tissue morphology images of the chickens in the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group.

[0106] The results showed that the cecum structure of the chickens in the control group was intact, the intestinal villi were neatly arranged, the folds and crypts were clearly visible, and the epithelial cells were intact and evenly distributed (see Figure 2 Compared with the control group, the infected group showed hyperemia and thickening of the muscular layer, destruction of the cecal structure, rupture of intestinal villi, almost disappearance of wrinkles, and difficulty in distinguishing the crypt structure. There were a large number of sporulated oocysts in the epithelial cells, and multiple inflammatory cell infiltrations in the intestinal glandular epithelium (see Figure 2 b1, b2 and b3). Compared with the infected group, the muscular layer of the Sichuan pepper water extract group was thinner, bleeding was relieved, the cecum structure was relatively intact, the intestinal villi were arranged relatively neatly, the crypts were arranged in a disordered manner compared with the control group, a small number of sporulated oocysts were found in the epithelial cells, and a small amount of inflammatory cells infiltrated in the intestinal gland epithelium (see Figure 2 In the Sichuan pepper ethanol extract group, the muscular layer was thinner than that in the infected group, bleeding was relieved, the cecum structure was relatively intact, the intestinal villi were arranged neatly, the crypts were arranged in a disordered manner compared with the control group, the number of sporulated oocysts in the epithelial cells was less than that in the Sichuan pepper water extract group, and a small amount of inflammatory cells infiltrated the intestinal gland epithelial cells (see Figure 2 d1, d2 and d3).

[0107] 4 Summary

[0108] Clinical trials have shown that oral administration of Sichuan pepper water extract at a dose of 1g per head / day resulted in an anticoccidial index of up to 158.31, approaching a good level. Oral administration of Sichuan pepper ethanol extract at a dose of 0.35g per head / day resulted in an anticoccidial index of up to 158.95, approaching a good level. HE staining results showed that oral administration of Sichuan pepper water extract and Sichuan pepper ethanol extract effectively reduced the number of E. tenella in cecal epithelial cells, maintained cecal structural integrity, and alleviated the inflammatory response caused by E. tenella.

Claims

1. Use of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a medicament for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella infection in chickens.

2. Use of the Sichuan pepper extract according to claim 1 in preparing a medicament for preventing and / or treating Eimeria tenella infection in chickens, characterized in that: The Sichuan pepper extract is a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract.

3. Application of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a drug for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.

4. The use of the Sichuan pepper extract according to claim 3 in the preparation of a medicament for increasing the body weight of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, characterized in that: The Sichuan pepper extract is a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract.

5. Application of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of drugs for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.

6. Use of the Sichuan pepper extract according to claim 5 in the preparation of a medicament for improving the cecal tissue structure of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, characterized in that: The Sichuan pepper extract is a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract.

7. Use of Sichuan pepper extract in the preparation of a drug for reducing the severity of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.

8. Use of the Sichuan pepper extract according to claim 7 in the preparation of a medicament for reducing the degree of cecal lesions in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella, characterized in that: The Sichuan pepper extract is a Sichuan pepper water extract or a Sichuan pepper alcohol extract.

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