Effect of Ferulago angulata sub. carduchorum on total serum antioxidant activity and some of the humoral immune responses in broiler chicks

Ferulago angulata sub. carduchorum (locally name: Chavir or Chavil) is an important medicinal plant in Iran. The powder of aerial parts of this plant contains variety of components with different therapeutical effects such as antioxidant activities (AOA). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation powder of aerial parts of this plant on total activities of serum antioxidant and some of the humoral immune responses in broiler chicks. Three hundred of 16 days-old commercial chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to six treatments with five replicates. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet as control (A), 100 ppm (150 IU) of vitamin E (B), 70 g / 100 kg Flavofosfolipol (C), 0.3% (D), 0.6% (E), and 1% (F) of the powder of the aerial parts of this plant added to the basal diet. At 25 days, from each treatment of experiment, two chicks were randomly selected and sheep red blood cell (SRBC) was injected through their wings veins. At 30 days, blood samples (ten sample of per treatment) for the test of antibody measurement produced against SRBC, the influenza virus and Newcastle were prepared. Moreover, with the blood extension and numbering of Hetrophil and Lymphocyte calculated and hetrophil to lymphocyte ratio were estimated. At 42 days, blood samples (ten samples per treatment) were taken for measuring total activities of serum antioxidant. Results indicated that supplementing of 0.6% of F. angulata significantly increased total activities of serum antioxidant compared to control birds (p ≤ 0.05). There is no significant difference among the treatments of experiment in the number of Hetrophil, Lymphocyte their ratio and the antibody against the virus of Newcastle and SRBC. However, this antibody against the influenza virus at the treatment of 3 g/kg F. angulata in comparison to control treatment was more. Use of F. angulata in broiler diet could be increase total serum antioxidant activity and improve humoral immunity.