IMMUNOMODULATORY  AND CORTISOL  SPARING  EFFECT OF TULSI (OCIMUM SANCTUM) IN HEAT STRESSED BROILERS

doi:10.56093/ijvasr.v9i1.154094

Authors

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijvasr.v9i1.154094

Keywords:

Broilers, Cortisol, Heat stress, Immunity and Tulsi

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in hot summer months with 120 broiler chicks in 5 groups which were given basal diet(BD), BD+vitaminE (200mg/Kg), BD+vitaminE (200mg/kg)+ selenium (0.15mg/kg),BD+Tulsi(0.25%) and BD+Tulsi(0.5%), respectively. A control group of 24 birds was raised separately in stress free environment. Birds were vaccinated with ND virus and serum was assessed for humoral immune response (HI) and cortisol levels. Cell mediated immune response (CMI) was assessed as increase in IDF thickness after and before PHA-P injection. Supplementation of Tulsi at either dose showed improved HI and CMI responses but levels were lower than that obtained with vitamin E alone or in combination with selenium. Increasing the supplementation level of herbal Tulsi (from 0.25 to 0.5%) did not contribute to any additional improvement. The study indicated that Tulsi at 0.25% could be used as natural supplement to improve immune response and lower cortisol level during heat stress condition in broiler chicken.

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