Effect of garlic and neem leaf aqueous extracts on immune response of broilers to live Newcastle disease vaccine

This study was designed to determine the effects of Garlic and Neem leaf aqueous extracts on their individual basis and/ or mixture on humoral immune response of broilers against NDV (Newcastle Disease Virus) Vaccine. One hundred and sixty day old broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four groups A, B, C and D. All the birds were raised in individual cages beneath the same house operating under conventional deep litter system. Group A was regarded as control received neither of the extracts. Group B, C and D were treated with 5g Garlic, 5g Neem leaf and a mixture of 2.5g Garlic and 2.5g Neem leaf extracts respectively mixed per liter of drinking water for the first 3 weeks and the experimental birds lasted for 8 weeks. The birds from all the groups were vaccinated with ND- La Sota vaccine orally at 21 day old. Ten blood samples were taken from each group on day 1, 7, 14 and 21 after the vaccination. The serum antibody level against NDV was measured by HI test. Better immune response (p< 0.05) was found in group B, C and D than the control but no significant difference (p> 0.05) between the treated groups. Present findings suggest that aqueous extracts of garlic and neem leaf enhanced the immunomodulatory response to live ND vaccine

Keywords:

Broilers , Garlic , Neem leaf , Aqueous extract , Immunomodulation