Effects of Antioxidants Supplemented Feed in Coccidiosis Treatment, Blood Antioxidative Status, and Enzymatic Activity of Domestic Cats

As coccidia become increasingly resistant to anticoccidial drugs, efforts have been made to find alternatives. In recent years, botanicals have been reported as potential alternatives to anticoccidials since they are effective against protozoa, arthropods, and helminths. In this study, different doses of dried pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L.) were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing the number of oocysts in domestic cats and their antioxidant properties. Under in vivo conditions, 24 six-month-old domestic cats of both genders naturally infected with Cytoisospora felis were tested. Four equal groups of infected cats were formed. Six cats made up each group. The control group (C) was on a basal diet, and one group received the chemical coccidiostat robenidine (CR), supplemented in the amount of 0.5%. Two levels of whole dried pomegranate fruit as a natural antioxidant were applied in a concentration of 0.5% (P1) and 1.0% (P2) on top of the basic diet. With the McMaster technique, oocysts number and eggs per gram of feces were determined. From each cat, 6 per group, blood samples were taken from a jugular vein at the end of the experimental period to investigate the influence of dried pomegranate fruit on blood enzymatic activity and lipid oxidation. In conclusion, supplementing cats' diets with dried pomegranate fruit reduced the number of oocysts per gram of feces significantly, but it is important to carry out further and more detailed studies to prove the anticoccidial and antioxidant properties of dried pomegranate fruit in cats' diets.