Organic Acids in Drinking Water Modulate the Humoral Immune Response and Performance of Broiler Chickens"

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt.

2 Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

3 Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat 32897, Egypt

4 Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt 2 Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK

5 Department of Poultry and Rabbit Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

6 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University

Abstract

The high density and genetic homogeneity of poultry flock populations may make them susceptible to infectious diseases, and dysbiosis of their microbiomes and viromes may negatively impact their immune system and health. Generally, the poultry immune system is always under pressure from a high growth rate, pathogen challenge and high stocking density. Therefore, the need for natural products to modulate the immune system is necessary. Our study tries to investigate the ability of different organic acid supplements either in single or mixed forms by drinking water to enhance the broiler immune response, Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and broiler wellbeing. A total of 1800 Arbor Acres plus broiler chicks were divided into eight treated groups (200 chicks each) that received four different organic acids either in single or mixture and a ninth on-treated group was kept as a negative control group. All groups were vaccinated against avian influenza (H5N1, H5N8), (H9N2) and Newcastle disease (NDV). At age days 17 and 25, broilers were injected with sheep red blood cells (SRBCs). Sera samples were collected at 7, 25 and 35 days for hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI) to determine sheep red blood cells (SRBCs), NDV, H5N1, H5N8, and H9N2 antibody titres. Our results revealed that using organic acids either alone or in combination had a significant effect on enhancing and modulating the immune antibody titres against NDV, H5N1, H5N8, H9N2 and SRBCs. Additionally, all treated groups had lower FCR and broiler mortality, compared to the negative control group, as organic acids act as cosurfactant. In conclusion, our findings indicate the ability of organic acids alone or in mixtures to improve the broiler immune response against ND, H5, H9 and SRBCs, body weight and lower chick mortality.

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