| dc.description.abstract | In broiler chicken houses where stress factors such as crowded housing and polluted house air are inevitable, respiratory system infections, decrease in live weight gain, deterioration in carcass quality and deaths cause great economic losses. Prevention of diseases in commercial broilers is tried to be provided by parent vaccinations and maternal antibodies. Due to the short growing period (42-45 days), it is not possible to prevent infections by vaccination. The use of antibiotics causes problems such as antibiotic residue, adverse effects on human health and antibiotic resistance. In recent years, mankind has returned to nature, and herbal treatment options have been increasingly preferred for the prevention and treatment of diseases. In human and animal studies, it has been determined that thymoquinone, the most important component of the Nigalla sativa plant, increases the specific and nonspecific immune response and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Although there are studies on the oral use of Nigella sativa seed in order to increase meat and egg production in chickens, the source for the use of thymoquinone in the prevention of poultry respiratory system infections could not be determined. In this study, experimental infection with Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale and Escherichia coli will be established in commercial broilers in which mucosal immunity is stimulated with thymoquinone. After experimental infection, bacterial counts in the lungs and trachea, cell count from bronchoalveolar lavage, morbidity and mortality rate in broilers, IFN-γ, IL-4 and TNF-α cytokine measurements, IgA measurement, β-defensin (anti-microbial peptide) activation were measured. The effect of thymoquinone on mucosal immunity and protection from infection will be evaluated. | en_US |
