title: Use of allicin as feed additive to enhance vaccination capacity of Clostridium perfringens toxoid in rabbits.
abstract: The present study assessed the efficacy of Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) toxoid and/or allicin - as feed additive - in rabbits for preventing or minimizing the severity of infection with locally isolated strain of C. perfringens type A. Serum biochemical, immunological and pathological investigations were also done. One hundred rabbits of 6 weeks of age were divided into five equal groups (G1-G5). G1 were kept as normal control. G2 was allocated for C. perfringens type A infection. G3 was vaccinated with C. perfringens toxoid at zero time and then with a booster dose at the 3rd week of the experimental period. G4 was treated with allicin 20% added to the ration (200mg/kg ration) all over the experimental period. G5 was vaccinated with C. perfringens toxoid at the zero time then with a booster dose at the 3rd week of the experiment period, and treated with allicin 20% from the zero time till the end of the experiment. At the 4th week, G2, G3, G4 and G5 were challenged orally (5 ml) and subcutaneously (2 ml) with 24h cooked meat broth containing 1 × 10(7) colony-forming units/ml of C. perfringens type A strain. Blood and tissue samples were collected from all groups po st-vaccination then post-challenge for biochemical analysis, serum neutralization test and histopathological examinations. Results revealed that rabbits treated with both allicin and toxoid vaccine demonstrated high level of antitoxin titre post-challenge, improved liver and kidney functions, and reduced morbidity and mortality rates and the severity of histopathological changes associated with challenge of rabbits with C. perfringens type A strain. In conclusion, vaccination of rabbits with C. perfringens toxoid combined with allicin 20% gave better protection, enhanced immune response and had no adverse effects on the general health conditions against C. perfringens type A infection compared to rabbits vaccinated with C. perfringens toxoid only.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, National Research Centre, 33 Bohouth Street, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: dr_waleedaboelhamed@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Waleed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Abu El Hammed
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, National Research Centre, 33 Bohouth Street, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: hamdysoufy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hamdy
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soufy
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, National Research Centre, 33 Bohouth Street, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: dr.ahmedelshemy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Shemy
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, National Research Centre, 33 Bohouth Street, Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: soadnasr@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Soad M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, P.O. Box 12211, Giza, Egypt. Electronic address: dessouky_mohamed@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohamed I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Dessouky
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004220:Disulfides; D005503:Food Additives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D051379:Mice; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011817:Rabbits; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014121:Toxoids / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; C035454:Clostridium perfringens toxoid; D004220:Disulfides; D005503:Food Additives; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; D014121:Toxoids; C006452:allicin
keywords: Allicin; Clostridium perfringens toxoid; Immunostimulant; Pathology; Rabbits; Serum biochemistry