Comparison of six different medicinal plants effects on humoral immune system performance of broiler chickens

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of six different medicinal plants on humoral immune system performance of broiler chickens. 420 one-day-old male broilers (308 Ross strain) were used in a completely randomized design in 7 treatments and three replicates (20 birds per replicate) for 42 days. The treatment groups consisted of a control(Group1) assigned to the basal diet and experimental groups 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were basal diet supplemented with 1% Mentha pulegium L., 1% Thymus vulgaris, 1% Cicorium intibus, 1% Satureja hortensis, 1% Malva neglecta and 1% Urtica dioica of aerial parts powder in the feedstuff, respectively. B1 Newcastle vaccine was used in all groups of broilers at 10 and 25 days of age. Two birds from each replicate (6 birds from each group, totally)were randomly chosen and blood sample was taken on the 24th and 34th days of experimental period and Hemagglutination Inhibition (HI) test was performed on sera and the heterophil: lymphocyte ratio was calculated. Regarding HI test (Antibody levels against Newcastle virus vaccine), it didn’t show statistical significance in different treatment groups. Regarding heterophil: lymphocyte ratio, only the group that had received 1% Urtica dioica showed statistical significance in comparison with control group (P