Host and Plant Taxonomy as Influential Factors in Controling in Vitro Specific Cell-Mediated Response in Herbivores

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Objective: This study monitored several alcoholic vegetal extracts from the adjuvant and immune cell stimulating perspective in farmed herbivores, differing by their digestive physiology. Material and Methods: Blood from randomly selected farmed ruminants (Romanian Spotted dairy cows, n=28 and Angora goats, n=19) and Romanian draft horses (n=27) was used to measure the in vitro effects on specific cell-mediated reactivity of alcoholic extracts of Calendula officinalis, Echinacea angustifolia and E. purpurea, by the in vitro whole blood blast transformation test, in 96 well plates, after 60 to 72h of incubation. Cell growth was quantified by an orto-toluidine technique. Student’s t- test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of the differences. Results&Discussion: The in vitro growth indices were lowest in goats (C. officinalis - 58.52±10.02%, E.angustifolia - 50.06±11.67%, E.purpurea -50.79±10.98%) and higher in bovine (C. officinalis – 69.9±2.65%, E.angustifolia - 74.9±10.1%, p<0.05), and increased towards E. angustifolia versus C. officinalis. In vitro responses to C. officinalis, E. angustifolia and E.purpurea were the most pronounced in horses and similar for all of these extracts. Conclusion: All the extracts showed inhibiting effects in bovine and goats, but not in horses, supporting host- based differences. The biological activity of the tested extracts was plant species dependent.