BLOOD HEMATOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND HUMORAL IMMUNITY AS AFFECTED BY ADDED DIETARY PROPOLIS SUPPLEMENTATION OF COBB BROILER CHICKS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Poultry Nutrition, Animal Production. Institute, Agriculture. Research Center.

2 Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Egypt

Abstract

This experiment was carried out at El-Takamoly Poultry Project. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary propolis supplementation on immune response of broiler chicks. A total number of 200 unsexed one day-old Cobb broiler chicks were used in this experiment; the chicks were divided into five groups, with four replicates of ten chicks each. Chicks were fed a starter diet without propolis supplementation during the first 6 days of age.  At the 7th day, birds were fed diets containing different levels of propolis (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg) till the end of 6th weeks of age. Ethanolic extract of propolis was added to mixed diets. At 42 dy the blood hematological and biochemical parameters were determined, also , the hemagglutination- inhibition (HI) test was applied for determination of antibodies response in plasma and Commercial kits were used for detection of antibodies against nucleoprotein and matrix against of Newcastle disease (NDV) and avian influenza (AIDV). The present result revealed that the hematocrit level of chicks fed diet containing 400, 600 or 800 mg propolis was significantly (P≤0.05)  higher than that of control-group. With respect to plasma total protein and globulin, it could be speculated that the supplemental propolis at 400, 600 or 800 mg significantly increased plasma total protein and globulin compared to control group, also there was highest antibodies concentration is related to 400, 600 and 800 mg/ kg propolis treatments for AI and ND, but 200 mg/kg propolis were not different from control group. There was no effect of propolis observed on Infectious bronchitis (IB) titration. In conclusion, the propolis may have positive effect on blood biochemical and humoral immunity of broilers.

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