Immunomodulatory and prophylactic efficacy of herbal extracts against experimentally induced chicken infectious anaemia in chicks: assessing the viral load and cell mediated immunity

摘要

Chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) is an economically important and a highly immunosuppressive virus affecting poultry industry worldwide. In this study we assessed the immunomodulatory effects of four herbal preparations namely Withania somnifera, Tinospora cordifolia, Azadirachta indica and E Care Se Herbal in resisting the viral multiplication and immunosuppression inflicted by CIAV in chicks. Day-old chicks (n?=?90) were randomly and equally divided into six groups (Groups A–F). Groups A–D were administered with purified extracts of W. somnifera, T. cordifolia, A. indica and E Care Se Herbal, respectively followed by the evaluation of viral load in lymphoid organs by quantitative real-time PCR and cell mediated immune response by flow cytometric analysis of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Groups A–D were found to resist CIAV multiplication and pathogenesis with significant reduction of viral load compared with the infected control (P?