Studies on immune response to Newcastle disease virus in broiler chickens fed with Lactobacillus reuteri PIA16 isolated from the gut of indigenous chicken of Assam, India

Background and Aim: The chicken gut harbors microflora which impacts the health, production performance and immune response against pathogens. Assam local chickens reared under natural conditions are known to possess high immunocompetence which may be attributable to its gut microbiota make-up. This study aimed to investigate the individual effect of two strains of Lactobacillus reuteri PIA16 isolated separately from cecum and jejunum of Assam indigenous chicken on the immunity of broiler chickens against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) when fed singly and in combination with a prebiotic.