[Modification of avian humoral immunoreactions by Influex and Echinacea angustifolia extract]

Medicinal complex drugs as well as single ethanolic or aqueous extracts of several plants are commonly used to increase the natural resistance to various infections, though their efficacy and mechanism of action are not yet well elucidated. In the present study, we investigated two problems: firstly, whether the complex drug (Influex) and Echinacea angustifolia extract do stimulate the immunoglobulin and antibody synthesis in chickens immunized with human serum albumin; and secondly, whether a restoration of IgG-synthesis in immunodefective (dysgammaglobulinemic) UM-B 19 chickens is possible with these plant preparations, i.e. if the BG cells which may possibly be present can be polyclonally or antigen specifically stimulated. The preparations were administered orally in two doses, after which the complete immunoglobulin concentration was determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis and the antibody production by ELISA. The effect of ethanolic solvent was taken into account. The administration of the complex drug to normal Leghorn chickens induced a rise in the serum immunoglobulin concentration, as well as an increase in the three classes of antibody. By the immunodeficient chickens (IgG concentration was below the level of test sensitivity at the start), the administration of the drug led to a slight production in IgG and antibody.