Effects Of Chinese Herbal Medicine Zihuangsan On Immuno-modulation Of Infectious Bursal Disease In Chickens

Extracts of Echinacea purpurea (EP) are widely used in Europe and North America for the prevention of cold, and the treatment of cough, bronchitis and other upper respiratory infections. The main activity ingredients of Echinacea purpurea are polysaccharides, caffeic acid derivatives (cichoric acid), alkamides and glycoproteins. Cichoric acid is one of the main standards for the quality of Echinacea purpurea. It can stimulate the immune system and strengthen the resistance against bacterial and viral infection with antibiotic-like effect. As an important herbal meicine in China, Astragalus membranaceus (AM) was used for centuries, and it had the effects of immune-stimulation, anti-virus, anti-oxidation and anti-tumor. Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and Astragalus saponins (ASP) were two bioactive ingredients of AM. APS had immuno-modulation effect and no side effect.Aim: EP and AM had similar effects with enhanced cellular and humoral immunity, anti-bacterium, anti-virus, In according with integrated compatability principle of traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese Herbal Medicine Zihuangsan was designed to be used for infectious bursal disease chickens. Some blood biochemical indices and CD4+ and CD8+ in immune organs were observed to elucidate the pharmaceutical mechanism about the prevention and treatment effects of Zihuangsan on IBD chickens so as to provide theoretical basis on animal production.Methods: This experiment was designed by single factor completely randomized experiment designment. 240 One-day-old chickens were acclimatized for 6 days, then randomly divided into groups A, B, C, D, E and F, 40 birds in each group. The birds in group A,B and C were administered with 90 mg/ml·kg, 45 mg/ml·kg, 4.5 mg/ml·kg of Zihuangsan. The chickens in groups D, E and F were given with the same volume of normal saline (NS). The administration were done daily from 14d to 20d. The birds in groups A, B, C, D and E were infected with IBDV by eye drop, Group F as normal control by using NS instead of IBDV and Zihuangsan. 3 days after IBDV infected, if IBD clinical signs appeared, the breast and leg muscles bleeding in infected groups. 0.5 ml yolk antibody per bird in group D was given intramuscularly.Ⅰ: the clinical signs of chickens before and after IBDV infection were observed and the death number were recorded in each group every day, the mortality statistics was done.Ⅱ: Blood samples were collected aseptically at days 24, 28 and 35 respectively, the sera were obtained by centrifuge at 3000 r.p.m for 15 min and stored at -80℃for detection of TP, Alb, AST, ALT, and Glb.Ⅲ: CD4+, CD8+ T cells in immune organs and small intestine were detected. CD4+, CD8+ area ratio was calculated by Motic 3.0 image analysis system. Results: The results showed that the mortality of IBD chickens in group B reduced 15.6% to that in group E. The immune organ indices in group B increased than that of group E, sometime it showed a significant difference (p<0.01). Compare with group F, the sera enzyme and immunoprotein in group B decreased.Conclusions: Zihuangsan could significantly reduce the chickens mortality and increase the enzyme and protein content in blood which was beneficial to the immune regulation. By the way, Zihuangsan could improve the development of immune organs. The increase of CD4+, CD8+ T cells in peripheral and central immune system suggested Zihuangsan could regulate the immune deficiency that caused by IBDV. The best dosage of Zihuangsan is 45 mg/ml·kg in group B.