Effect of Spirulina platensis on Immunity in Cadmium Treated Chickens

One hundred chickens of one day age were divided randomly into five groups of 20 birds each. After two weeks of adaptation period, group I was kept as control, group II was fed with 0.2% Spirulina platensis powder till 90th day post treatment (DPT). Group III was administered 1.6 ppm cadmium as cadmium chloride monohydrate (CdCl2.H2O) in triple glass distilled water. Groups IV and V were administered 1.61 ppm cadmium in triple glass distilled water along with Spirulina platensis powder orally in standard recommended feed at the rate of 0.2% concentration. However, in Group V Spirulina platensis powder was given after 60th day post treatment (DPT) till 90th day post treatment (DPT). Humoral immune response was assessed by hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition assays from the serum separated from 5 chickens from each group at 0, 30th, 60th and 90th DPT and cell mediated immune response was assessed using lymphocyte stimulation test from 5 chickens from each group at 0, 30th, 60th and 90th DPT using heparinised peripheral blood. There was a significant decrease in humoral immune response in cadmium treated group III, as compared to group I control. In groups IV and V, Spirulina platensis showed significant increase in humoral immune response in chickens which were also treated with cadmium. There was no significant change in cell mediated immune response in any group throughout the period of experiment. Present study showed the immunotoxic property of cadmium in chickens even at NOAEL dose and also Spirulina platensis has shown immunopotentiating effects in birds even in which the immunity was down regulated due to cadmium.