Avian coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused by Eimeria species, poses a significant economic importance in poultry production. The emergence of drug-resistant Eimeria strains prompts the need to investigate effective and safe natural substitutes, including essential oils from plant sources. Thus, the study aimed to determine the anticoccidial and growth-promoting properties of (Cuminum cyminum) cumin essential oil (CEO) in broiler chicks that were experimentally infected with Eimeria spp. To this end, 270 day-old Hubbard broilers were randomly assigned to six experimental groups; three groups were given CEO at 1, 2, or 3% in feed, respectively; an infected, non-medicated control; a positive control with toltrazuril (Symocox®) on board; and a non-infected, non-medicated control. At day 14, the birds, except the neutral control, were orally inoculated with a mixed population of Eimeria spp. (1×10⁵ sporulated oocysts/chick). The shedding of oocysts, lesion scores, growth performance, hematological parameters, and serum biochemistry were evaluated through standard protocols. The group supplemented with 3% CEO showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction in oocyst per gram (OPG) of feces (54.8±0.42×10³), lesion scores (1.33±0.47), and mortality (6.66%), which was as effective as the standard drug, toltrazuril. A better body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and hematological indices (e.g., PCV, Hb, RBC) were also observed in the 3% CEO group compared to the infected, untreated group (P<0.05). The effects were not significant (P>0.05) on serum biochemical parameters. Overall, CEO having 3% dietary supplement shows considerable anticoccidial and growth-promoting effects on broiler chickens, which makes it a promising natural intervention for combating coccidiosis.

To Cite This Article: Abbas A, Shawky M, Al-Suwailem NK, Qazi Muhammad Awais³ and Tauseef ur Rahman⁴, 2025. Evaluation of anticoccidial activity of cumin (cuminum cyminum) essential oil in broiler chicks. Pak Vet J, 45(4): 2099-2104. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2025.xxx