DIETARY SPIRULINA-PLATENSIS ENHANCES HUMORAL AND CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNEFUNCTIONS IN CHICKENS

Cornell. K-strain White Leghorns and broiler chicks were raised to 7 w ks and 3 wks of age respectively, with diets containing various levels (0, 10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 ppm) of Spirulina platensis from day of hatch. Chicks in all treatment groups had comparable body weights. Wh ile bursal and splenic weights did not change, the K-strain chicks had larger thymuses (P less than or equal to .05) over the controls (0 pp m group). No differences were observed in anti-sheep red blood cells a ntibodies during primary response. However, during secondary response, K-strain chicks in all Spirulina-dietary groups had higher total anti -SRBC titers with 10,000 ppm group being the highest (6.8 Log(2)) vers us the 0 ppm (5.5 Log(2)) group. In broiler chicks, a one Log increase in IgG (P less than or equal to .05) was observed in 10,000 ppm group over the controls. Similarly, chicks in 10,000 ppm Spirulina group ha d a higher PHA-P-mediated lymphoproliferative response over the 0 ppm controls. Macrophages isolated from both K-strain (10,000 ppm group) a nd broilers from all Spirulina groups had higher phagocytic potential than the 0 ppm groups. Spirulina supplementation at 10,000 ppm level a lso increased NK-cell activity by two fold over the controls. These st udies show that Spirulina supplementation increases several immunologi cal functions implying that a dietary inclusion of Spirulina at a leve l of 10,000 ppm may enhance disease resistance potential in chickens.