Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
F. Pourasghar; H.R. Aliakbarpour; Gh. Maliji
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extract and its usage schedule on the immune system, biochemical parameters, and growth yield of male broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replications. The ...
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This study aimed to investigate the effects of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extract and its usage schedule on the immune system, biochemical parameters, and growth yield of male broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replications. The treatments included 1: without purple coneflower extract (control), 2: daily usage, and 3: every-other-day usage of purple coneflower extract (1.5 ml of the extract per liter of water). Records of the broilers body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were investigated in the starter, grower and finisher nutritional stages. The blood biochemical parameters (glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, albumin, and total protein), bronchitis virus titer, heterophile-to-lymphocyte ratio, and immune organs weight were determined at the end of the experiment (42-day-old age). The results showed that the yield characteristics, heterophile-to-lymphocyte ratio, and immune organs weight did not differ significantly between the experimental groups. The highest bronchitis virus titer was observed in the daily extract usage treatment (p < 0.05). The blood glucose level in the daily extract usage treatment was lower than the control (p < 0.05), but the other blood biochemical parameters did not differ significantly between the experimental treatments. The results of the present study revealed that the daily usage of purple coneflower extract (1.5 ml of the extract per liter of water) could decrease the blood glucose level and increase the bronchitis virus titer.
M. Noori; Sh. Gharanjik; A. Safipour Afshar; F. Saeid Nematpur
Abstract
The hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes due to the stability and mass production in hormone free culture provide an appropriate tissue for secondary metabolite production, and the content of metabolites produced could be affected by bacterial strain. In the current study, the effect of different ...
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The hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes due to the stability and mass production in hormone free culture provide an appropriate tissue for secondary metabolite production, and the content of metabolites produced could be affected by bacterial strain. In the current study, the effect of different strains of A. rhizogenes including A4, A13 and 15834 on the percentage of hairy root induction of Echinacea purpurea (L.) moench. in the leaf and hypocotyl explants were studied. In another experiment, total phenolics and polysaccharides content of hairy roots were measured compared to the control (untransformed) roots. The results showed that the percentage of hairy root induction was significantly affected by bacterial strains, so that in E. purpurea leaves incubated by strains A13, 15834 and A4, the hairy root induction was 60%, 40% and 0, and in hypocotyl explants was 85%, 45% and 70%, respectively. Maximum total phenolic compounds were observed in A4 strain. As well, in comparison to control, the polysaccharide content in hairy root induced by strains 15834 and A13 increased and by A4 strain decreased significantly. Differences observed in this study about hairy root induction and secondary metabolites production could be due to different ability of A. rhizogenes strains in T-DNA transferring to plant cells.
Z. Teymouri Zadeh; Sh. Rahimi; M.A. Karimi Torshizi; R. Omidbaigi
Volume 25, Issue 1 , May 2009, , Pages 39-48
Abstract
The present study was designed to evaluate comparison of the effects on the intestinal microflora population and immune system of broilers of three commercial herbal extracts and virginiamycin antibiotic. A total four hundred and eighty 1-day old male broiler chicks were assigned to the basal diet (control) ...
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The present study was designed to evaluate comparison of the effects on the intestinal microflora population and immune system of broilers of three commercial herbal extracts and virginiamycin antibiotic. A total four hundred and eighty 1-day old male broiler chicks were assigned to the basal diet (control) and basal diet supplemented with 150 ppm virginiamycin, 0.1% extract of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench.), garlic (Allium sativum L.) and blend of extracts with the same dose. The colony forming units of Escherichia coli in digesta of ileo-cecum in the blend group showed a significantly lower number compared with control group. However, there was no difference in E. coli countsbetween blend group and others except control. The lactic acid bacteria counts in the thyme group increased compared with other groups except coneflower (p<0.05). Relative weights of immune organs (spleen and bursa of Fabricious) as two immune indexes were compared among different groups. Relative weight of bursa of Fabricious in the Garlic group showed a significantly increase compared with other groups, but relative weight of spleen was unaffected by treatments. Cutaneous basophils hypersensitivity response (to phytohemagglutinin injection) and antibody responses to sheep red blood cells were higher in coneflower group (p<0.05). Antibody responses to Newcastle vaccine (Lasota) was unaffected by treatments but coneflower group improved antibody levels (p>0.05).