الفهرس 
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Abstract
Poultry plays a very important role for the livelihood of human being through food supply, income and employment generation. During the last years, a special attention was given to the use of herbal plants in order to improve the humoral and/or cellular immunity and growth of broilers. The uses of herbal plants as health and growth promoters are gaining an increasing attention in both consumer and scientific circles. P. undulata and S. persica are two herbal plants that have plenty of pharmaceutically important metabolites. Although, there are few studies which have revealed the mechanism of action of the immune- and growth-stimulatory and anti-inflammatory compounds of herbal plants, the exact molecular mechanisms of some herbs are not already known.
The aim of this study was to assess the immuno- and growth modulatory effects of S. persica and P. undulata methanolic extracts through monitoring their effects on biochemical and molecular immunological response and growth performance parameters as well as their anti-inflammatory properties in broiler chickens infected by E.coli.
This aim should be reached through investigation of the following parameters:
1) Immunity-related parameters
Relative weight of immune-related lymphoid organs (spleen, bursa and thymus).
Immune-related biochemical parameters (total protein, globulin, IgM) in serum.
Gene expression of immune-related gene TLR15 in spleen.
2) General health status
Liver function test (ALT and AST).
Kidney function test (creatinine and uric acid).
3) Growth performance parameters
Body weight.
Body weight gain.
Food consumption rate.
Feed conversion ratio.
4) Anti-inflammatory properties
Molecular detection of inflammation-related genes IL1β and TNF-α in liver.
A total number of 96 one-day-old unsexed broiler were housed in an electrically heated battery brooder, and provided with water and commercial starter diet until 12 days of age and then fed basal diet from 12 to 37 days of age. Chickens (n = 96) were divided into eight groups (n = 12 in each group):
• group (G) 1: Normal control group.
• G2: Healthy control chicken orally administrated S. persica extract.
• G3: Healthy control chicken orally administrated P. undulate extract.
• G4: Healthy control chicken orally administrated S. persica and P. undulate extracts.
• G5: E.coli-induced colitis.
• G6: S. persica extract treated group, E.coli-induced colitis.
• G7: P. undulata extract treated group, E.coli-induced colitis.
• G8: S. persica and P. undulata extracts treated group, E.coli-induced colitis.
Data obtained from this study were statistically analyzed and revealed the following:
• Administration of S. persica and P. undulata methanolic extracts each alone or in combination resulted in induction of immune response against infection with E.coli as revealed by elevated immunological response parameters (total protein, globulin, and IgM) in addition to increased weight of immune organs (spleen, bursa and thymus) and upregulation of the immunity-related gene TLR15 in spleen of infected chickens.
• Methanolic extracts from these two plants also improved the disrupted growth performance parameters (as indicated by lowering feed conversion and increasing body weight gain), enhanced the deteriorated body health (as evidenced by reduced liver and kidney damage markers).
• S. persica and P. undulata methanolic extracts also triggered anti-inflammatory activities (as indicated by downregulation of inflammation-related genes, IL1β and TNFα).
• There were no significant changes between the effect of single and combined treatment by P. undulata and S. persica extracts on the majority of immune, growth, and anti-inflammatory-related parameters among chicken. This indicates that no synergism or antagonism between actions of these two plants. In other words, each plant does not inhibit or induce immune-stimulatory, growth promotion, and anti-inflammatory effect of the other plant. Therefore, no great value to use both plants together.
• Feeding healthy chicken with P . undulata and S. persica methanolic extracts significantly improved the growth performance parameters without damaging the liver and kidney. This indicates that these two plants are safe and could be individually added to chicken food as growth promotors.
Poultry plays a very important role for the livelihood of human being through food supply, income and employment generation. During the last years, a special attention was given to the use of herbal plants in order to improve the humoral and/or cellular immunity and growth of broilers. The uses of herbal plants as health and growth promoters are gaining an increasing attention in both consumer and scientific circles. P. undulata and S. persica are two herbal plants that have plenty of pharmaceutically important metabolites. Although, there are few studies which have revealed the mechanism of action of the immune- and growth-stimulatory and anti-inflammatory compounds of herbal plants, the exact molecular mechanisms of some herbs are not already known.
The aim of this study was to assess the immuno- and growth modulatory effects of S. persica and P. undulata methanolic extracts through monitoring their effects on biochemical and molecular immunological response and growth performance parameters as well as their anti-inflammatory properties in broiler chickens infected by E.coli.
This aim should be reached through investigation of the following parameters:
1) Immunity-related parameters
Relative weight of immune-related lymphoid organs (spleen, bursa and thymus).
Immune-related biochemical parameters (total protein, globulin, IgM) in serum.
Gene expression of immune-related gene TLR15 in spleen.
2) General health status
Liver function test (ALT and AST).
Kidney function test (creatinine and uric acid).
3) Growth performance parameters
Body weight.
Body weight gain.
Food consumption rate.
Feed conversion ratio.
4) Anti-inflammatory properties
Molecular detection of inflammation-related genes IL1β and TNF-α in liver.
A total number of 96 one-day-old unsexed broiler were housed in an electrically heated battery brooder, and provided with water and commercial starter diet until 12 days of age and then fed basal diet from 12 to 37 days of age. Chickens (n = 96) were divided into eight groups (n = 12 in each group):
• group (G) 1: Normal control group.
• G2: Healthy control chicken orally administrated S. persica extract.
• G3: Healthy control chicken orally administrated P. undulate extract.
• G4: Healthy control chicken orally administrated S. persica and P. undulate extracts.
• G5: E.coli-induced colitis.
• G6: S. persica extract treated group, E.coli-induced colitis.
• G7: P. undulata extract treated group, E.coli-induced colitis.
• G8: S. persica and P. undulata extracts treated group, E.coli-induced colitis.
Data obtained from this study were statistically analyzed and revealed the following:
• Administration of S. persica and P. undulata methanolic extracts each alone or in combination resulted in induction of immune response against infection with E.coli as revealed by elevated immunological response parameters (total protein, globulin, and IgM) in addition to increased weight of immune organs (spleen, bursa and thymus) and upregulation of the immunity-related gene TLR15 in spleen of infected chickens.
• Methanolic extracts from these two plants also improved the disrupted growth performance parameters (as indicated by lowering feed conversion and increasing body weight gain), enhanced the deteriorated body health (as evidenced by reduced liver and kidney damage markers).
• S. persica and P. undulata methanolic extracts also triggered anti-inflammatory activities (as indicated by downregulation of inflammation-related genes, IL1β and TNFα).
• There were no significant changes between the effect of single and combined treatment by P. undulata and S. persica extracts on the majority of immune, growth, and anti-inflammatory-related parameters among chicken. This indicates that no synergism or antagonism between actions of these two plants. In other words, each plant does not inhibit or induce immune-stimulatory, growth promotion, and anti-inflammatory effect of the other plant. Therefore, no great value to use both plants together.
• Feeding healthy chicken with P . undulata and S. persica methanolic extracts significantly improved the growth performance parameters without damaging the liver and kidney. This indicates that these two plants are safe and could be individually added to chicken food as growth promotors.