Dietary Supplementation with the Ultra-Fine Powder of Chinese Herbs Enhances Cellular and Humoral Immunity in Early-Weaned Piglets

摘要

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with a Chinese herbal ultra-fine (CHU) powder on cellular and humoral immunity in early-weaned piglets. Sixty piglets weaned at 21 days of age were randomly assigned to one of 3 treatment groups representing supplementation with 0 or 2 g/kg of the CHU powder, or 0.2 g/kg of colistin (an antibiotic) to maize- and soybean meal-based diets (n = 20 per group). On days 7, 14 and 28 after initiation of the treatment, total and differential counts of leucocytes, lymphocyte proliferating activity, and serum levels of antibodies and cytokines were measured. Results indicated that dietary supplementation with the CHU powder increased (P ＜ 0.05＝ the percentage of lymphocytes in blood leukocytes, while decreasing (P ＜ 0.05＝ the numbers of neutrophilic granulocytes and monocytes, when compared with the no additive group. The CHU powder treatment enhanced (P ＜ 0.05＝ serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α on days 7-28 and of IgG and IgM on day 28, as well as the proliferating activity of blood lymphocytes on all days relative to the no additive group. Addition of the CHU powder (7.82 to 31.25 mg/ml) to culture medium also increased (P ＜ 0.05＝ the proliferating activity of blood lymphocytes compared with the no additive group. Results from both in vitro and in vivo studies indicate a beneficial effect of the CHU powder on cellular and humoral immune responses in piglets.