3.7 EXPLORATION OF GROWTH PROMOTING AND IMMUNOMODULATING 'POTENTIALS OF INDIGENOUS DRUGS IN BROILER CHICKEN IMMUNIZED AGAINST NEWCASTLE VIRAL DISEASE

The studywas carried out to find out the growth promoting and irnmunomodulatingpotentials of indigenous herbal plants viz., Glycyrrhiza glabra (G glabrd), Phyllanthus niruri (P. niruri) imdAloe vera (A.! vera) in both crude (I % inclusion level), as well as, standardized extract forms (O.I %iriclusionlevel), ei1:her alone or in combinations, in comparison with synthetic antiviral drugs Amantadine and Acyclovir. First bioloiical trial was ~conducted as pilot trial to assess the growth proinoting and irnmunomodlilating abilities of herbal plant drugs and synthetic antiviral drugs. Synthetic antiviral drugs viz., amantadine and acyclovir did not produce any positive changes in either production performances or immune status oftlie birds. sCi, these drugs were not included for further studies. Second and third biological studies were conducted to assess ilie growth promoting and immunomodulating abilities of herbal plant drugs either individually or in combinations. The fina\ trial was conducted with all possible combinations of plant drugs. The final body weight gain achieved was veryinuch pronounced in the group treated with P.niruri andA. vera. Combined effects of P. niruri andA. vera were more than that ojtheir,individual effects. The cumulative feed intake was more in all the treatment groups except the groups treated with G glabra. P. niruri p'erformed better: P.' niruriwithA. vera also performed better than other groups. Crude extract of A. vera performed better than the standardized extract. Combinations of all the three indigenous plants showed the best perforriIances. P. niruri treatedgroups ~ad bette~ feed conversion efficiency. Combination of P. niruri and A. vera also improved feed conversion efficiency. P. niruri or A. vera, when combined with G glabra, improved the feed conversion efficiency, indicating a possible herbal potentiating effect. All the treatment groups sho\ved higher HI titres. Combinatio~ of G glabra and P. niruri produced the maXimum titre followed by the combination of Gglabra, P. niruri and A. vera. A. vera crude extract performed better than standardized extract' Crude arid standardized extract combination of P. niruri and A. veta produced same titre. Hi~est HA'titre agaln~t SRBC was observed in the combInation group of crude extract of G' glabra and P. niruri andP niruri and A. vera,ifollowedby combination of G glabra and P. niruri (standardized 'extract) and cOfubination of crude extracts of all the three plants. All the treatment groups showed betteHitre than the control gn5up. The haematoloiical parameters viz., total leukocyte coUnt and differential courit did not vary between the indigenous plant drug treated groups and the reference control groups, but based onDNCB test, it was concluded thai the cell. mediated immunity was increasedby the inclusion of herbal drugs particularly A. vera.Except G'gl~prd (crude~xtract), all the other groups showed higher serum total protein :values. P. nirurland A. vera (both crude and standardized extract' showed similar effects in elevating the serunhotal protein. When G 'glabra (crude extract) was combi) ~d with P. niruri (crude extract)dr A. vera (crude extract) similar increasein level was observed. P. nirur' and A. vera (both crude and standardized extract) and G glabra (standardized extract) exerted positive effects on serum albumi! llevels.Conibination o(the plant drUgs <lid not po~i! ivetyaff(! c t the serum albumin levels. During 6 weeks of age there was significant difference noticed in serum globulin leveL Between' the different forms of G glabra, standardized extract exerted more positive effect tliim cru'qe extract. P. niruri, standardized extract had more positve effect than crude extract. A. vera crude extract was better in improvingihe serum globulin level than the standardized extract. Combinati(;m of plant drugs produced positive effects on serum globulin levels. The treated groups showed positive effect on albumin globulin ratio at 2 weeks