Ascorbic acid supplementation improved antibody response to infectious bursal disease vaccination in chickens

The purpose of the present study was to determine if supplementation of ascorbic acid (AA) to the diet would have a beneficial effect on infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccination of chickens for protection against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infection. Two hundred forty specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were divided into eight experimental groups. A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design was used; AA supplementation at 1,000 ppm in the diet, vaccination, and challenge were the main effects. Prior to challenge and 10 d after challenge, serum AA concentration, serum corticosterone concentration, ELISA antibody titer to IBDV, body weight, bursa-to-body weight (B:B) ratio, and bursal histological score (BHS) were determined. Nonvaccinated chickens fed a diet supplemented with AA did not exhibit clinical signs or mortality following challenge, whereas AA-unsupplemented counterparts had 100% cumulative morbidity and 30% cumulative mortality. Serum AA levels of AA-supplemented and vaccinated chickens were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than AA-unsupplemented and vaccinated chickens. Fourteen days following vaccination, significantly (P < 0.05) higher ELISA titers to IBDV were observed in vaccinated chickens supplemented with AA as compared to AA-unsupplemented counterparts. Ascorbic acid-supplemented chickens, especially those also vaccinated, had higher body weight gains as compared to the AA-unsupplemented chickens. Ascorbic acid-supplemented chickens challenged with IBDV did not show any clinical signs or mortality. The results suggest that supplementation of AA at 1,000 ppm in the diet has beneficial effects on antibody response to IBD vaccination and body weight gain.