[Effect of Echinacea purpurea dried extract effect on producing antibody from newcastle disease vaccine in broilers by HI test]

Newcastle disease is one of the most important causes of economic losses in the poultry production and can he resulted in high mortality. Antibody detection is also an important tool for assessment of the immunity against the disease. In the present study a trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of an immune stimulator[Echinacea purpurea] on antibody production against Newcastle disease vaccine. 450 one day old broiler chicks were divide into five groups of three repeat each. For three weeks from day one various doses of Echinacea purpurea extract was prescribed to four treatment groups and to the fifth group placebo in water was prescribed. All groups were vaccinated on days:11, 19, 38. Subsequently. serum samples were collected at days 10. 25, 34.52 of post vaccination from 21 chicks of each group [4 samples of each repeat] and were tested for Newcastle antibody titers by HI test. This experiment showed that the use of Echinacea purpurea extract with the rate of 29, 75Mg per kilo body weight per day had better effects on antibody titers and significantly increased between control group arid treatment groups [p<0.01]. It is also revealed that the use of Echinacea purpurea induces FCR improvement and mortality rate was decreased significantly [p<0.01]

Evaluation of immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects and phytochemical screening of Alternanthera tenella Colla (Amaranthaceae) aqueous extracts

Alternanthera tenella Colla extracts are used in Brazilian traditional folk medicine to treat a variety of infectious diseases as well as inflammation and fever. In this work, the immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and potential toxic effects of cold (CAE) and hot (HAE) aqueous extracts of A. tenella were investigated in vivo. In addition, we analyzed the phytochemical properties of both extracts. BALB/c mice were immunized in vivo with sheep red blood cells and concomitantly inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with each extract (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg). Specific antibody-producing cells were enumerated using plaque-forming cell assays (PFC) and anti-SRBC IgG and IgM serum levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Body and lymphoid organ weights were determined after treatments in order to evaluate toxic effects. Carrageenan-induced paw edema was employed to investigate anti-inflammatory activity in mice inoculated i.p. with CAE or HAE (200 or 400 mg/kg). Phytochemical screening was performed using spectrometric and chromatographic approaches and revealed that CAE possessed higher tannin and flavonoid levels than HAE. PFC numbers were increased after treatment with CAE (100 mg/kg) four days after immunization, as were the serum antibody titers after four and seven days, suggesting immunostimulatory activity through modulation of B lymphocyte functions. Body and organ weights did not show major changes, suggesting that extracts administered to mice did not induce significant toxicity. Both extracts had significant anti-inflammatory activity in the paw edema assay. These results suggested that aqueous extracts from A. tenella contained several chemical compounds that possess positive and/or negative modulator effects on the immune system, which appeared to correlate with tannin and flavonoid levels in those extracts. In summary, these studies provide important insight into the biological activities of A. tenella.

Influence of subchronic exposure to lindane on humoral immunity in mice.

Lindane suppressed both primary and secondary antibody responses to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) in albino mice, the effects being more pronounced on the secondary than the primary response. However, a longer duration of pesticide exposure induced similar degrees of immunosuppression on both responses. The sequential study of plaque forming cells (PFC) kinetics revealed that suppression of plaque formation not only occurred at peak days but also on pre and post peak days, and there was no delay in peak antibody formation. Moreover, reduction in the primary PFC was not associated with decrease in the antibody response to SRBC. The results indicate that lindane suppresses both primary and secondary humoral immune responses in a time and dose dependent manner, and suggest a threshold susceptibility to exposure.

Effect of suppressor cells on antibody producing cells in mice infected with Mycobacterium leprae.

Swiss albino mice were transfused with suppressor cells obtained after in vivo stimulation of mice with Con A (NS group). Some of the animals were infected with Mycobacterium leprae (NSI-group). Half of these animals were treated with dapsone (NSIT group). Adequate normal (NC) and infected (NI) controls were included. A plaque assay was carried out at different time periods to elucidate the effect of suppressor cells on antibody producing cells. No significant difference was seen in the number of plaque forming cells (PFC) in infected and dapsone treated animals (NSIT) when these were compared with controls. However significant increase seen in the number of IgM plaque forming cells at 6 months in NI and NSI groups and IgG PFC in NI group could be due to the peak footpad infection during this period. The significant decrease in the number of IgG PFC in NS and NSIT group compared to NC at 0 month is probably due to the suppressor cell activity in these groups.