Comparative study on adjuvanticity of compound Chinese herbal medicinal ingredients

In order to compare the adjuvant activity of compound Chinese herbal medicinal ingredients (cCHMIs) and filtrate best prescription and dose, two initial screened cCHMIs were prepared and mixed with Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine respectively at three doses to vaccinate 17-day-old chickens, taking the non-adjuvant and oil adjuvant vaccines as controls. On day 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after vaccination, the dynamic changes of peripheral lymphocyte proliferation and serum antibody titers in the chickens were determined by means of MTT method and hemagglutination inhibition test. The results showed that two cCHMIs could promote peripheral lymphocyte proliferation and enhance serum antibody titer, of which adjuvant activity was similar to and even stronger than oil adjuvant in promoting lymphocyte proliferation at some time points, and there was a certain dose-effect relationship. The best adjuvant activity of cCHMIs 2 in promoting cellular immunity occurred at middle dose, and cCHMIs 1 in enhancing humoral immunity, at high dose. Based on good synergistic effects of their components, two cCHMIs would be expected as new-type immunologic adjuvants to substitute for oil adjuvant.