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Alpha-monolaurin boosts immune response of IB-vaccinated broilers
Alpha-monolaurin stimulates the immune response of broilers after vaccination against infectious bronchitis, according to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Poultry Research. The authors noted that the higher number of antibodies found in animals receiving alpha-monolaurin in their feed may result in better protection against future infections.
BY FRAMELCO I
nfectious bronchitis (IB) remains one of the most im- portant diseases in today’s poultry industry. It is caused by infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) – the coronavirus of poultry – it is acute and spreads quickly under current
commercial conditions. The virus can affect the respiratory organs, kidneys and intestines. Clinical signs, such as growth depression, coughing, with nasal and ocular discharge, are often seen, especially in young broilers. Co-infection with My- coplasma, Escherichia coli or Avibacterium paragallinarum can exacerbate the disease.
No guarantees with vaccination As there is no commercially available treatment against IB, vaccination with live-attenuated or killed viruses is usually
Figure 1 - IBV RNA in tracheal swabs obtained on days 5, 9, 15, and 30. 100
P = 0.60 80
applied, along with biosecurity measures. A complicating factor, however, is the unpredictable nature of the virus: it mutates quickly and new serotypes and variants emerge continually. In practice, this means that vaccination does not necessarily guarantee full protection. IBV infections therefore remain a significant source of economic loss in the global poultry industry.
Promising effects of alpha-monolaurin Because of the considerable economic impact of IB, Framel- co’s ongoing research focuses closely on alleviating the IBV-induced consequences of infections on poultry farms. One area of research concentrates on the use of alpha- monolaurin. Alpha-monolaurin, a monoester formed from lauric acid, has become an important feed additive due to its antipathogenic and immune-modulating properties. Scien- tific research too, has previously shown that when added to the feed of broilers, alpha-monolaurin exhibited not only an- tibacterial properties but strong antiviral properties as well. Recently, the effect of a commercially available formulation of alpha-monolaurin (FRA C12 Dry) on IBV vaccine uptake and the elicited antibody response was evaluated. Ross 308 broil- ers were orally vaccinated with live-attenuated IBV.
60 P = 0.16 Control 40 Day 5 18 Day 9 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 8, 2021 Day 15 Day 30 FRA® C12 Dry
Enhanced viral clearance The vaccination did its job well, as became clear from the high proportion IBV positive birds in the days following vacci- nation (Figure 1). At days 9 and 15, 100% of the birds from both the control group and the FRA C12 Dry group tested positive for IBV. Supplementation with alpha-monolaurin therefore did not negatively affect the uptake of the vaccine. At day 30 after vaccination, the percentage of IBV-positive birds in both groups decreased, indicating that some of the birds established elimination of the virus. Interestingly, the percentage of IBV-positive birds in the product group was markedly smaller compared to the control group (56% com- pared to 80%, respectively). It is suggested that feeding a diet supplemented with alpha-monolaurin results in enhanced clearance of vaccine-derived IBV. This indicates that FRA C12 Dry may have supported the immune response elicited by vaccination.
Proportion IBV positive (%)
PHOTO: JAN WILLEM SCHOUTEN
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