Investigation on experimentally induced Ochratoxicosis and effect of Picrorrhiza kurroa on pathology and immune response in broilers

In the present experiment, 90 day old male broiler chicks were divided into six treatment groups of 15 birds each. The humoral immune status, adjudged by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer (log2 value) against Newcastle disease virus at 35 day of age revealed a significant reduction in the humoral antibody level in ochratoxin A (OA) 1 and 2 ppm treated groups and significant increase in the immune level in Picorrhiza kurroa (PK) treated T3 and T4 groups. The percent organ weight at 35 day of age of bursa, thymus and spleen were not altered, however, slight reversal of increased liver and kidney weights were observed. Histologically, kidneys revealed swollen epithelial cells of proximal convoluted tubules, loss of brush border, necrosis, formation of casts in the lumen of the tubules, liver revealed degenerative changes, bile duct proliferation, focal lymphoid aggregation and the lymphoid organs revealed congestion, hemorrhages, sparse aggregation of cells and lymphocytolytic activity in OA treated birds at 35th day of age. In groups T3 and T4 also the lesions of similar intensity were noticed which indicated the failure of PK to show the counteracting effect at cellular level at this dose rate.