Effect of Dietary Curcuma, Capsicum, and Lentinus, on Enhancing Local Immunity against Eimeria acervulina Infection

Abstract

The protective effect of orally administered Curcuma longa (turmeric), Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens (hot pepper), and Lentinus edodes (shiitake mushroom) on avian coccidiosis was evaluated in young broilers. Broiler chickens were continuously fed with a standard diet or standard diet supplemented with Curcuma, Capsicum/Lentinus or Curcuma/Capsicum/Lentinus from hatch and body weight gains, fecal oocyst shedding, antibody titers, and pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression were measured as parameters of protective immunity following challenge infection with E. acervulina. Chickens fed the Curcuma/Capsicum/Lentinus-supplemented diet showed significantly improved body weight gains compared with birds on the standard diet or birds given Capsicum/Lentinus-supplemented diet following challenge infection with E. acervulina. Chickens fed the Curcuma/Capsicum/Lentinus-supplemented diet shed significantly reduced fecal oocysts and produced higher serum antibody titers compared with the groups fed the standard diet or fed Curcuma or Capsicum/Lentinus. Finally, the levels of local cytokine transcripts of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-15, and IFN-γ were consistently greater in the Curcuma/Capsicum/Lentinus-fed group compared to the controls fed only the standard diet, Curcuma, or Capsicum/Lentinus groups. This study provides first immunological evidence that dietary supplementation of turmeric, hot pepper, and shiitake mixture significantly enhances local innate immunity and provides higher protective immunity against E. acervulina infection.