- Free-range chicken feed on anything they come across, predisposing them to deadly bacteria, which is also harmful to humans
- Since it is a natural product, ASHE ensures that poultry meat and eggs remain free from harmful drug residues, addressing both health and safety concerns
Image: KNA
Researchers at Egerton University have developed a herbal remedy to prevent poultry disease.
Dubbed Aloe Secundiflora Herbal Extract, was developed as use of prophylactic antibiotics– drugs given to prevent, rather than treat diseases– led to the development of Coccidiosis drug resistance.
Lead scientist, Professor Charles Muleke Inyangwa, said the drug, which is made from aloe vera powder extract, offers natural prevention against Coccidiosis without the risk of transmission of drug-resistant bacteria to humans.
Inyangwa said “40 per cent of poultry diseases in Kenya have exhibited resistance to artificial drugs".
The Food and Agriculture Organization points out that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals threatens the livelihoods of millions of subsistence livestock keepers.
FAO projects that in 10 years, over 24 million people will slide into extreme poverty as a result of AMR.
Coccidiosis is one of the costliest poultry diseases in Kenya causing huge losses to farmers.
“With over 25 per cent of poultry in the country being afflicted by Coccidiosis, a herbal remedy for this disease will save the country’s poultry sector millions,” he said.
The drug prevents Coccidiosis parasites in 80 per cent of free-range chicken, helping control the rise in artificial drug resistance.
In regions where poultry farming is a critical source of income and nutrition, parasitic diseases have devastating effects as they impair growth, suppress immune systems, and lead to high mortality rates among chickens.
“Our ASHE innovation offers hope. Since it is a natural product, it ensures that poultry meat and eggs remain free from harmful drug residues, addressing both health and safety concerns. The extract’s effectiveness in trials has given farmers renewed optimism,” he said.
Free-range chicken feed on anything they come across, as long as it is edible. This predisposes them to deadly bacteria, which is also harmful to humans.
Such bacteria include Escherichia coli, staphylococcus, Salmonella typhi among others.
These diseases cause 50 per cent of afflicted birds and can affect humans in the form of food poisoning if consumed, he said.
ASHE, which can also be used to treat roundworms, is administered to birds through water and can reduce Coccidiosis infection rates.
“Poultry farming has been facing a silent epidemic: internal parasites. Ascaris and coccidian parasites wreak havoc on free-range chickens, causing substantial economic losses for farmers.
"The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials and dewormers has led to drug-resistant poultry, leaving farmers desperate for safe and effective alternatives. Our goal is to develop a herbal drug that is both effective and safe for consumption,” he added.
The journey of ASHE begins in Baringo county, where Aloe Secundiflora is harvested. The leaves are chopped to extract the gel, which then undergoes a rigorous freeze-drying process.
The result is a fine powder, which is then packaged into 30-gram containers, ready for use. Administered orally through water, ASHE works by inhibiting the hatching of parasite eggs and cells.
“Trials have proven that this herbal extract can reduce faecal egg counts by 53 per cent and oocyst counts by an impressive 80.8 per cent, compared to untreated controls,” he said.
Inyangwa and his team are now seeking the Kenya Bureau of Standards’ approval for sale of the drug to farmers.
“We’ve worked hard to develop a product that meets the needs of our farmers. Our trials have shown that ASHE is effective, and we are confident it will be a game-changer once it hits the market,” he told the media.
The university's Safe Food Reference Laboratory, where ASHE was developed, is funded by the National Research Fund.