Anticoccidial Efficacy of Lactoferrin and Diclazuril against Hepatic Coccidiosis in Rabbits: Molecular Docking Insights and Experimental Validation | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Sciences | ||
| Articles in Press, Corrected Proof, Available Online from 06 October 2025 PDF (1.4 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejvs.2025.398149.2931 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Sawsan Elbasuni1; Marwa Abdel Haleem1; Hala El Daous2; Nagwa M. Elhawary3; Samar H. Baloza4; Maha Mambouh5; Yasmeen Magdy6; Ali El-Far7; Mohamed A. Abaza* 1 | ||
| 1Department of Avian and Rabbit Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt | ||
| 2Department of Hygiene and Veterinary Care, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt. | ||
| 3Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University | ||
| 4Genetic and Genetic Engineering, Animal Wealth Development Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt. | ||
| 5Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt. | ||
| 6Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt. | ||
| 7Department of Biochemistry, Fac. of Vet. Med., Damanhour University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Hepatic coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria stiedae, poses a significant challenge to the rabbit production industry, leading to rabbit fatalities and considerable economic losses. This study compared the effectiveness of diclazuril and bovine lactoferrin, a multifunctional glycoprotein, in preventing hepatic coccidiosis in New Zealand White rabbits. Therefore, an in-silico study was conducted to examine the molecular docking interactions of lactoferrin with rabbit tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as well as the surface antigen (SAG) 4 and 5 proteins of E. stiedae, serving as a preliminary computational assessment before experimental validation. Subsequently, an in vivo study was performed using thirty-five one-month old New Zealand White rabbits were randomly allocated into five groups: negative control group, lactoferrin-treated uninfected group, infected untreated group, infected lactoferrin-treated group, and infected diclazuril-treated group. The assessed parameters included growth performance, parasitological infection evaluation, haematological measures, and liver pathology at 28 days post-infection. Molecular docking results exhibited a strong affinity between lactoferrin and diclazuril for rabbit TNF-α, which heightened the inflammatory response and their binding capability to SAG4 and SAG5, thereby regulating E. stiedae pathogenicity. The invivo study demonstrated that lactoferrin significantly improved body weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to the diclazuril and the untreated infected groups. Furthermore, treatment with lactoferrin delayed and reduced oocyst shedding, minimized liver injury, reduced TNF-α expression in immunohistochemical laboratory analysis, and decreased the inflammatory markers, suggesting its potential as an anticoccidial agent. These results underscore the efficacy of lactoferrin in alleviating E. stiedae infection. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Hepatic coccidiosis; Eimeria stiedae; diclazuril; molecular docking; anticoccidial efficacy; lactoferrin | ||
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