Effect of Withania Somnífera Root Powder Administration on Immune Responses in Cadmium-Treated Chickens

A total of 90 chicks of 1-day age were divided randomly into 5 groups of 18 birds each, namely group I (control), group II (100 ppm cadmium), group III (200 ppm cadmium), group IV [100 ppm cadmium + Withania somnifera root powder (WSRP)] and group V (200 ppm cadmium + WSRP). WSRP was incorporated in feed formulation at 1% concentration. The birds were vaccinated for Newcastle disease at 5th, 21st and 45th day of age. Humoral and cell-mediated immune (CMI) response was assessed by haemagglutination and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays and lymphocyte stimulation test (LST), respectively, from five birds from each group at 0th, 15th, 30th, 45th and 60th days post-treatment (DPT). In group I, HI titre showed a significant increase throughout the experiment period. In groups II and III, a significant decrease in HI titre was found from 0th DPT to 60th DPT. In group IV, no significant change was recorded from 15th to 60th DPT. In group V, a significant decrease was observed from 0th to 60th DPT. When the mean values of HI titres were compared between different groups at varying time intervals, there was a significant decrease in humoral immune response in groups II and III as compared with group I. However, there was significantly lesser decline in HI titres in groups IV and V as compared with groups II and III, respectively. In group I, LST showed no significant difference at any time interval that is from 0th to 60th DPT. In groups II and III, there was a significant decrease in the optical density values from 0th DPT to 60th DPT. In, group IV, a significant decrease was noted at 15th DPT as compared with 0th DPT and, later on, no significant change could be recorded up to 60th DPT. In group V, there was a significant decrease at 15th DPT as compared with 0th DPT only. When these values were compared between different groups at varying time intervals, it was found that there was a significant decrease in CMI response in groups II and III as compared with group I. However, significantly lesser decline in CMI response in groups IV and V observed as compared with groups II and III, respectively.