Urtica dioica alcoholic extract increases the cell-mediated innate immune potential in chickens

Abstract Active principles from stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ), a wide spread herbaceous perennial flowering plant, are well known for their anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-ulcer and anesthetic capacity. This study aimed to investigate the in vivo and in vitro effects of a commercial alcoholic stinging nettle extract in 38 days old chickens on the non-specific immunity. The birds were divided in three equal groups ( n  = 10) and subjected to sc treatments on days 0 and 7, as follows: 0.5 ml saline/chicken (I—control); 0.5 ml 70° alcohol/chicken, (II—solvent control); 0.5 ml alcoholic nettle extract/chicken (III—treated group). Total leukocyte counts and carbon particle inclusion test to estimate the in vitro phagocytic activity were performed on whole blood sampled on days 0, 7 and 14. Alcoholic nettle plant extract significantly ( p 3 to 17,125 ± 2,813/mm 3 , when compared to groups I (16,667 ± 1,807/mm 3 to 16,475 ± 2,098/mm 3 ) and II (17,555 ± 2,098/mm 3 to 16,875 ± 1,966/mm 3 ). Similarly, the nettle extract treatment significantly enhanced ( p in vitro functional capacity of the phagocytes over time for the first (0–30 min, 0.347 ± 0.07–1.464 ± 0.06) but not the second (30–40 min, 0.196 ± 0.05–0.223 ± 0.06) tested time interval. These results supported the beneficial biological effect of the in vivo alcoholic nettle extract treatment on the innate immune response, which could lead to a higher resistance to diseases and improved post vaccination response of the birds, thus reducing the economic losses.