The present experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effects of the aqueous solution of propolis and toltrazuril on E. stiedai in experimentally infected young New Zealand white rabbits, The efficacy of both agents as anticoccidials was assessed on 5 criteria including fuecal oocyst counts, clinical signs , gross, histo- and clinc-opathological changes. Clinically, the infectcd rabbits with E. stiedai were shed great number of oocysts, suffered from depression, anorexia, weight loss, ascities and diarrhea. Grossly, enlargement of liver with presence of numerous small whitish nodules on hepatic surface with distension of tall bladder were observed. Microscopically, congestion, hepatic degeneration and necrosis, extensive hyperplasia of bile ductal epithelium which contained many stages of parasites and periportal fibrosis with mononuclear cellular infiltration were observed. Great reduction in the faecal oocysts output as well as the clinical symptoms, gross and microscopic lesions, also improvement in serum parameters and weight gain were observed in rabbits experimentally :infected with E. stiedai when treated with toltrazuril as prophylactic and therapeutic. Meanwhile, using of propolis as prophylactic and therapeutic in rabbits experimentally infected with E. stiedai showed positive results similar to those of toltrazuril in addition to its hepatoprotective and immunostimulating effects especially in prophylactic application.
Finally the parasitological, histo- and clincopathological results concluded that:-
1-Toltrazuril and propolis as anticoccidial agents could he evaluated through parasitological examination of oocyst out put in combination with histo- and clincopathological examination of liver.
2-Hepatic coecidiosis in rabbits was associated with severe hepatic damage characterized by chronic proliferativc cholangitis with presence of numerous Eimeria developmental stages within the lining epithelium and lumens of bile ducts.
3-Propolis aqueous extract had effective chemoprophylactic and therapeutic activities against hepatic coccidiosis in addition to its hepatoprotective and imniunostimulating activities.
4-Toltrazuril has a therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy against hepatic coccidiosis characterized by reduction of both oocyst shedding and the coccidial and hepatic lesions.
5-The use of propolis and toltrazuril as prophylactic drugs produced a positive effect on weight gain than when they were used as therapeutic drugs.