The present study evaluated the repellent activity and the improvements in egg production and mortality rate on laying hens infested with poultry red mites (PRM) administered with a mixture of Korean traditional herbal methanolic extracts (CHE, Foeniculum vulgare : Sophora flavescens : Cinnamomum cassia : Glycyrrhiza glabra = 1:1:1:1, w/w/w/w). PRM numbers per laying hens in CHE-0.5 administered with CHE 0.5 kg/ton feed were significantly decreased compared to those in Non-CHE (control) during overall experimental periods (1st week post-treatment, p<0.05; 2nd week post-treatment, p<0.01; 3rd-4th week post-treatment, p<0.001). In CHE-1.0 administered with CHE 1.0 kg/ton feed, PRM numbers were significantly decreased compared to those in Non-CHE during the whole experimental periods (1st week post-treatment, p<0.01; 2nd-4th week post-treatment, p<0.001). After administration of CHE for 4 weeks, egg production and mortality rate in CHE-0.5 and CHE-1.0 were significantly improved compared to those in Non-CHE (p<0.05). In addition, hematological and blood biochemical parameters in all CHE-treated groups were insignificantly different compared to those in Non-CHE. This study showed that CHE (0.5 and 1.0 kg/ton feed) had a repellent activity on PRM in laying hens and effects on the improvement in egg production and mortality rate of laying hen. CHE could be an effective and safe candidate for the control of PRM and the improvement in egg production and mortality rate of laying hens.

This study was investigated the synergistic antibacterial effects from the combination of sulfamethazine (SMZ) and tiamulin (SMT) against Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) isolated from pigs. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index were determined for 10 bacteria from 13 swine farms in Gyeongsangnam province by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards broth microdilution procedure. Antimicrobial agents tested included SMZ, tiamulin and SMT. Against S. Typhimurium and A. pleuropneumoniae, the MIC ranges of SMZ, tiamulin and SMT were 125-500, 15.625-62.5 and 15.625-62.5 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the FIC index ranges of SMT against S. Typhimurium and A. pleuropneumoniae were 0.19-0.38 and 0.19-0.62, respectively. In conclusion, SMT has a high antibacterial activity against S. Typhimurium and A. pleuropneumoniae, then the combination may be applied for the treatment of swine diseases caused by S. Typhimurium and A. pleuropneumoniae.