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This study was performed to evaluate the effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Withania somnifera (WS) root, Withania coagulans (WC) fruit, and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol 1,25(OH)2D3 on immune response and small intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 550 male one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly allotted to 55 pens, with 10 birds per pen (replicate), and reared for 42 days. Broiler chickens were fed 11 dietary treatments including a positive control diet with adequate Ca; a negative control diet (Ca concentration reduced by 30%); and the negative control diet supplemented with either WS or WC extracts at three levels (0, 75, and 150 mg/kg diet) or 1,25(OH)2D3 at two different levels (0 and 0.5 μg/kg diet). Antibody response against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was measured on days 32 and 39. Administration of 150 mg/kg WS and WC significantly increased the production of IgG specific to SRBC on primary and secondary antibody response, respectively. Birds given a negative control diet supplemented with only 150 mg/kg WS displayed the highest villus width compared to those given 75 mg/kg WS or WC with 1,25(OH)2D3. The present study showed that supplementation of WS or WC at 150 mg/kg had beneficial effects on humoral immune response. Also, administration of WS significantly increased villus width.
Mirakzehi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.