Humoral Immune Response of Broilers fed with Moringa oleifera   Supplemented feed and Vaccinated with an Inactivated Infectious Bursal Disease Vaccine

Infectious bursal disease virus has been reported to be one of the very important immunosuppressive agents in poultry. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the immune modulating effect of Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) supplemented feed in broilers. Two-hundred-and-forty-day old Ross 308 hybrid broiler chicks were assigned into groups A, B, C and D of 60 chicks each in deep litter type housing. Groups A and B were fed with formulated broiler starter and finisher feeds, containing 5% MOL for 4 and 3 weeks, respectively, while groups C and D were fed with formulated broiler starter and finisher feed without MOL for 4 and 3 weeks, respectively. Broilers in groups A and C were vaccinated intramuscularly with 0.5 ml of inactivated intermediate strain of infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine at 14 and 21 days of age, respectively and inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine (Komorov strain) at 18 days of age, while those in groups B and D served as positive and negative control. Blood was collected from 10 broilers in each group via the wing vein on 14, 21, 35, and 38 days of age to determine the antibody titres of the various groups of broilers using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Significant decrease (p = 0.001) was observed in the mean IBD antibody titre of birds in group A at 21 days of age and significant increase at 35 days of age. Birds in group B showed a significant decrease (p = 0.000) in antibody mean titre at 21 days of age and a significant (P = 0.002) increase at 35, 38 and 42 days of age. Significant decrease (p = 0.000) was observed in the mean antibody titre of broilers in group C at 21 days of age and a significant increase (p = 0.022) was observed at 35 days of age. The antibody mean titre of broilers in group D showed a significant decrease (p = 0.000) at 21 days of age, and a significant (p = 0.000) increase at 35 days of age. Broilers fed with MOL supplemented diet need to be vaccinated to have a high antibody titre against IBD.