The aim of this study is to evaluate effects of white wormwood, Artemisia herba-alba Asso, against an experimental Eimeria tenella infection. 120 broiler chicks, divided into four groups: (UIUT) uninfected untreated group; (IUT) infected untreated group; (ITT) infected treated group with 0.025g/l of toltrazuril and (ITA) infected treated group with the dried leaves of (Artemisia herba-alba Asso) incorporated at a level of (5%) in animals feed. Infected animals received each 105 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella. Anticoccidial effects were evaluated through: feed intake, live body weight gain, oocyst shedding and variations of blood total proteins and total lipids. Despite symptoms of coccidiosis, no mortality was recorded in (ITA) group, while the two other infected groups recorded mortality rates of 13.79% and 20.69% respectively for (IUT) and (ITT) groups. On day 6 post-infection, oocyst shedding was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in white wormwood treated group (ITA) 5.34±6.59 106 OPG, compared to the infected untreated group (IUT) 15.54±6.34 106 OPG. On day 7 post-infection, all three infected groups showed hypoproteinemia, however, unlike the untreated group, consumption of white wormwood seems to have prevented the occurrence of hypolipidimia. Despite an interesting anticoccidial activity, one adverse effects of the plant incorporation was its negative effect on body weight gain. The long period of use (4 consecutive weeks) and also the possible antinutritional effect of the plant’s tannins could be incriminated.
