Immunomodulatory Effects of Water Soluble Vitamins on Heat Stressed Broiler Chickens

A total of 350, day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into 7 groups and kept under elevated temperature (37.5–39°C) throughout the study to see the imnranoregulatory effects of water soluble Vitamins B₂, B₆, B₁₂ and Vitamin C and Cyclophosphamide (known immunosuppressant). The eirds shich received ration with all vitamins had higher mean body and lymphoid organ weights. The birds recieved cyclophosphamide and ration without vitamins showed poor results. Moreover, cyclophosphamide treatment resulted in bursal atrophy. The highest-hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titrewas recorded in the vitamin C treated vaccinated birds. The vitamin C treated birds (vaccinated/unvaccinated) also had significantly higher mean body and lymphoid organ weights than the birds received vitamins B₂, B₆ and B₁₂ separately or ration without vitamins and those given cyclophosphamide.