The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of aqueous
Withania somnifera
root (
WSR
) extract in broiler chicks experimentally infected with
Escherichia coli
O78 @ 10
7
CFU/0.5 ml intraperitoneally. Clinical signs and mortality due to colibacillosis observed in infected chicks were mild and lasted for short duration in WSR extract supplemented group as compared with the nonsupplemented group. A significant increase in serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine phosphokinase activities and a decrease in total protein and albumin concentrations were observed in the infected groups, though these changes were of lower magnitude in WSR extract supplemented group. A significantly higher activity of oxidative blood parameters such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase enzymes were noticed in WSR extract supplemented group. The WSR extract supplemented group revealed significantly higher
E. coli–
specific antibody titer and enhanced lymphocyte proliferation response as compared with the nonsupplemented group. The gross and histopathological lesions of colibacillosis were mild in the WSR extract–supplemented infected group as compared with the nonsupplemented infected group.
Withania somnifera
root extract supplementation produced 31.48 and 34.38% protection in the gross and histopathological lesions in
E. coli
infected chicks, respectively. It is concluded that supplementation of 20% WSR extract @ 20 ml/L of water caused a reduction in the severity, mortality, and recovery period of
E. coli
infection and enhanced the humoral and cellular immune responses suggesting its protective effect on limiting the pathology of
E. coli
infection in broiler chickens.
Aim:The aim was to investigate antibacterial activity of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), an Indian traditional medicinal plant against Escherichia coli O78, a pathogenic strain.Materials and Methods:Two-fold serial dilutions of 20% aqueous W. somnifera root (WSR) extract were inoculated with E. coli O78 @ 1*107 colony forming units grown in nutrient broth. Following inoculation, turbidity optical density was measured by spectrophotometer at 600 nm in all the tubes at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h of incubation at 37°C.Result:The results revealed that the maximum inhibition of bacterial growth was observed at 1:8 dilution of WSR extract. The highest dilution of the extract that showed inhibited growth of the test organism when compared with control was 1:16. Therefore, the minimum inhibitory concentration of aqueous extract of WSR is 1:16.Conclusion:It is concluded that WSR possessed good antibacterial activity, confirming the great potential of bioactive compounds and its rationalizing use in health care.
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