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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #327253

Title: Evaluation of the in vitro effects of Allium hookeri on broiler chicken lymphocytes, macrophages and tumor cells

Author
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item LEE, YOUNGSUB - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item LEE, S - Jeollabuk-Do Center
item JEONG, M - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item KIM, J - Jeollabuk-Do Center
item JANG, H - Jeollabuk-Do Center
item CHOE, J - Jeollabuk-Do Center
item KIM, D - Jeollabuk-Do Center

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/16/2016
Publication Date: 11/25/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5695445
Citation: Lillehoj, H.S., Lee, Y., Lee, S.H., Jeong, M.S., Kim, J.B., Jang, H.H., Choe, J.S., Kim, D.W. 2016. Evaluation of the in vitro effects of Allium hookeri on broiler chicken lymphocytes, macrophages and tumor cells. Poultry Science. 54(2):142-148.

Interpretive Summary: With increasing concerns on the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in animal agriculture, there is a timley need to develop alternatives to replace AGPs. One of antibiotic alternatives that ARS scientists have been studying in collaboration with scientists at Rural Development Administration in South Korea is an edible vegetable, Allium hookeri. Plants which belong to Allium species are traditional medicinal plants with many well known medicinal benefits. Among its properties of Allium hookeri is its ability to prevent infection and its anti-microbial property of killing certain pathogens. In this report, ARS scientists demonstrated that various extracts of Allium hookeri stimulated poultry immune response as measured by various in vitro assays. These results suggest that dietary feeding of young poultry with Allium hookeri could enhance host immunity and reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry production.

Technical Abstract: Large members of Allium species have been widely used around Asia as food or as traditional medicinal plants that prevent infection. Allium hookeri has also been reported to have antimicrobial activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ethanol extracts of A. hookeri (leaf, root, and fermented root) on various in vitro parameters of innate immunity (spleen lymphocyte proliferation) as well as the suppression of tumor cells growth. Additionally, the investigation also evaluated the antioxidant effect (free radical scavenging activity). The ethanol extracts from the three powders stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, induced nitric oxide production and suspended tumor cell growth when compared with the media negative control. Also, potent scavenging capacity showed by DPPH assay. These results suggest that the ethanol extract of A. hookeri can be used as a potential alternative to enhance innate immune of the poultry.