Immunomodulators in poultry: natural pathways to enhanced health and productivity

SUMMARYThe poultry industry is the fastest growing sector in the field of agriculture in the last few decades, but it is facing many on-going challenges including infectious diseases, heat stress and a need for safer and effective alternatives to enhance poultry immunity. Immunomodulatory plants are offering promising alternatives to antibiotics due to their safety and efficacy profile and multifaceted mechanisms of action. This review is an exploration of latest findings on potent immunomodulatory plants that are used to stimulate the immune systems of poultry. The review aims to support development and use of natural plant-based interventions to promote sustainable alternatives for poultry heath management and strengthening immunity in poultry. It provides an in depth description of the eight most potent immunomodulatory plants: Withania somnifera (WS), Curcuma longa (CL), Echinea purpurea L. (EP), Trachyspermum ammi (TA), Cinnamomum verum (CV), Emblica officinalis (EO), Ocimum sanctum(OS) and Ginkgo biloba (GB). These plants have shown potential in stimulating both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses of poultry along with their mechanism of action that stimulates various immune signalling pathways like toll receptor signalling, cytokine signalling pathways, JAK-STAT pathway, NF-κB pathway etc., which boost the immunity of broilers and thus help them to fight against various infectious diseases and improve gut health, anti-oxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, overall health and productivity of broilers. These plants were evaluated on the basis of their phytochemical profiles, immunological impact and applications in poultry production. The introduction of natural herbal plants will replace the use of the antibiotics in the poultry industry by improving poultry immunity, and it will also ensure safe, sustainable production for the future that should comply with regulatory frameworks and nutritional approaches.