THE IMMUNE MODULATING POTENTIAL OF SUPPLEMENTING COBB500 BROILER CHICKENS WITH CRICKET AND SHRIMP CHITIN AND CHITOSAN

Abstract

This study explored the potential impacts of cricket-derived chitin and chitosan on the immune systems of Cobb500 broilers. One hundred and fifty broiler chicks of the Cobb500 strain were randomly assigned to any one of the five dietary groups in order to accomplish this. While the first set of birds (group 1) were only served the basal diet with no supplementation, the second to fifth sets of birds (groups 2 to 5) were served a diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg of the following: cricket-chitin, cricket-chitosan, shrimp-chitin, and shrimp-chitosan. The bursa and spleen were weighed relative to the body weight, and qPCR was used to determine the spleen's relative expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), toll-like receptor 15 (TLR15), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) genes. After 42 days of dietary cricket-chitin, the bulk of the index immunological organs increased (P<0.05). At day 21, TLR4, TLR15, IL-1β, and iNOS expression were unaffected by chitin and chitosan, but at day 42, they were down-regulated (P<0.05). However, during day 21, dietary shrimp-derived chitosan enhanced (P<0.05) the relative expression of TLR4, TLR15, and IL-1β, whereas the expression of TLR15 was lowered (P<0.05) but that of TLR4 was increased by cricket-chitin and shrimp-chitin. According to our findings, feeding broiler chicks with 500 mg/kg of shrimp chitosan and cricket-derived chitin can positively boost their immunity.