The virucidal potentials of Tapinanthus globiferus: A Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Geartn epiphytes (whole plant) extract in experimental bronchitis in broiler chicken

Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) belongs to the family Coronaviridae; genus Coronavirus, together with turkey coronavirus and nine species of mammalian viruses. The Tapinanthus globiferus: A Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Geartn epiphytes (whole plant) was prepared and cold extracted using 70% methanol. Acute toxicity studies using set of 36 number of four weeks old apparently healthy chickens grouped into six categories (A-F) was performed. Total numbers of 30, four weeks old broiler chickens were grouped into six (I-VI) with each group consisting of five (n = 5) chickens. Infected birds manifesting all the signs and symptoms of infectious bronchitis (IB) and confirmed through alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and creatinine phosphor kinase (CPK) assay was isolated and provided with 300 ml of drinking water over a period of 24 hours. The contaminated water was used as the inoculum. The infection was carried out by administering 3 ml of the infective dose to groups I-IV. The treatment with the extract at doses of 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/bw was given to groups I-IV while groups V and VI were the standard and negative controls respectively. Monitoring of the viral load was done at a week interval through the ALP and CPK enzyme assay. Doses of 1000 to 3000 mg/kgbw did not cause any mortality while LD50 was not found even at the highest dose of 5000 mg/kgbw. The doses of 300 and 400 mg/kgbw were found to maintain a very low viral load. Prophylaxis with 400 mg/kgbw for five consecutive days prior to infection does not show any prophylactic effect. Result from this study reveals that methanol extract of Tapinanthus globiferus: A Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Geartn epiphytes has pharmacological effect against IBV with a very low level of toxicity, though, no prophylactic effect.