The effect of Korean Ginseng and Coptidis rhizome on plasma acute phase substances and mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines in spleen of growing chicks following lipopolysaccharide injection

Experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with wild type Korean ginseng or Coptidis rhizome (goldthread) on inflammatory responses in egg-type male chick. The birds (a week of age) were fed a commercial diet as a control group or the diet containing 0.2% ethonal extract of Korean ginseng or goldthread. Inflammatory responses were evaluated to determine plasma concentration of nitrate plus nitrite, ceruloplasmin and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP), or expression of mRNA of substances related to inflammatory response such as interleukin-1 beta and -6, tumor necrosis factor like ligand 1A, inducible nitrite synthease, interferon gamma following lipopolysaccharide. The extract of Korean ginseng was lowered plasma ceruloplasmin and expression of mRNA expression related to early inflammation but not goldthread as compared with the control group. The Korean ginseng fed group showed higher feed intake than the control or goldthread group, and higher antibody titers to keyhole limpet hemocyanin than the control group. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with wild type Korean ginseng alters inflammatory response, in part, through changes in expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and dose acquired immunity.