Abstract:
Researches were conducted to investigate the in vivo effect of an nettle plant alcohol extract on the phagocytosis and body weight in 48 days old broiler chickens(n=34). The birds were divided into three groups: subcutaneouslyinjected with 0.5 ml ofsaline (control, n = 12), with 0.5 ml of alcohol (group II, n=11) or with 0.5 ml of alcoholic nettle extract (group III, n=11). Sterile heparinized blood, sampled on days 0, 7 and 13, was processed by an in vitro carbon particle inclusion test, the phagocytosis being expressed in optical density units. The birds were weighed simultaneouslywith the blood sampling.We concluded that a single nettle extract treatment does not significantly influence the phagocytosis, while the second administration intensified it. The alcoholic nettle extract had a beneficial effect on the body weight of broiler chickens.