Effects of Nigella sativa on immune responses and pathogenesis of avian influenza (H9N2) virus in turkeys

• Published in: Journal of applied poultry research 2016-03, Vol.25 (1), p.95-103
• Main Authors: Umar, Sajid, Rehman, Abdul, Younus, Muhammad, Qamar-un-Nisa, Ali, Asif, Shahzad, Muhammad, Shah, Muhammad Ali Abdullah, Munir, Muhammad Tanveer, Aslam, Hassan Bin, Yaqoob, Muhammad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1056-6171; 1537-0437
• DOI: 10.3382/japr/pfv070

The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of various levels of dietary Nigella sativa seeds on immune-responsiveness and pathogenesis of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) in turkeys. The experiment was performed on 80 unvaccinated turkey poults, divided into four groups of 20 birds each. Group A was kept as a non-infected, non-treated negative control; group B was inoculated intranasally with H9N2 AIV (106 EID50) at 4 wk of age; groups C and D were fed on diets containing 1% and 3% Nigella sativa seeds, respectively, from d 1 through the entire experiment period and inoculated intranasally with H9N2 AIV (106 EID50) at the wk 4 of age. Infected birds showed clinical signs of differing severity, with the most prominent disease signs appearing in birds of the H9N2 group. All infected birds showed positive results for virus shedding; however, the pattern of virus shedding was different, with birds of group B showing more pronounced virus secretion than the birds in the groups C and D, which were fed different levels of N. sativa. Moreover, significantly higher antibody titer against H9N2 AIV in group D birds show the immunomodulatory nature of N. sativa. Similarly, increased IFN-γ mRNA expression suggest antiviral behavior of N. sativa, leading to suppressed pathogenesis of H9N2 viruses in N. sativa-fed birds.This study showed that dietary supplementation with N. sativa seed at the level of 3% would enhance immune responsiveness and suppress pathogenicity of influenza viruses in turkeys.