MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION

Using Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) as an eco-friendly feed

supplement in human and poultry nutrition

Muhammad Saeed,*,y Muhammad Naveed,z Jakob Leskovec,x Asgahr Ali kamboh,# Ihsanullah Kakar,ǁǁ
Kifayat Ullah,{ Fawwad Ahmad,## Muhammad Sharif,## Asif Javaid,zz Mubasher Rauf,xx
Mohamed E. Abd El-Hack,** Mervat A. Abdel-Latif,yy and Sun Chao*,1

*College of Animal Sciences and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; yDepartment
of Poultry Science, Faculty of Animal Production & Technology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal
Sciences, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan; zDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing
Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 211166, China; xDepartment of Animal Science, Biotechnical
Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia 1230 Domz ale, Slovenia; #Department of Microbiology, Sindh
Agriculture University Tandojam, Sindh Province, Pakistan; ǁǁClinical Medicine and Surgery Department
LUAWMS, Uthal, Balochistan, Pakistan; {Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islam-
abad Campus, Park Road, Tarlai Kalan, Islamabad 45550, Pakistan; **Department of Poultry, Faculty of Agri-
culture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt; yyNutrition and Veterinary Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour 22511, Egypt; zzDepartment of Animal Nutrition, Fac-
ulty of Animal Production & Technology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur,
63100, Pakistan; xxDepartment of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Cholistan University of Veterinary and
Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, code 63100, Pakistan; and ##Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of
Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

ABSTRACT Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is a performance, body gains (increased by 4.8%), dressing
well-recognized and widely distributed traditional plant percentage (increased by 7.1%), meat quality traits, and
that is used successfully in Indian Ayurveda medicine. the shelf life of the meat. In addition, T. cordifolia
T. cordifolia has shown many promising biological exerted a palliative effect on the general health status of
activities, such as antioxidative, antimicrobial, anti- the birds through reducing live enzymes and plasma uric
hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, osteoprotective, acids and enhancing the immune response, as indicated
hepatoprotective, antidiarrheal, and antistress effects. by the leukocyte count, hemagglutinin titer, interleukin
Guduchi is a rich source of protein and micronutrients, activity, and mortality levels. Further investigations
such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, phosphorus, and concluded that T. cordifolia showed strong antimicrobial
manganese. It also contains many secondary plant effects against Escherichia coli and Salmonella
metabolites, such as terpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, enteritidis, with subsequent reductions in mortality.
steroids, and glycosides. Based on previous studies in Moreover, T. cordifolia showed an ability to improve
poultry, the supplementation levels of Guduchi range humoral and cell-mediated immunity against Newcastle
from 1 to 5 g/kg of diet (different sources, such as pow- disease, infectious anemia, gout, and aflatoxicosis. The
der, extracts, roots, and leaves, have been used). It was current review discusses many beneficial properties of
suggested that this variation in supplementation levels T. cordifolia, although the lack of pharmacological trials
depends on different factors, including the extraction limits the use of this extract in poultry. Further research
method, the supplementation proposed, the method of should be performed regarding the composition of the
supplementation (either in feed or drinking water), and active compound, the possible mechanisms of action, and
the species and physiological status of the birds. Gener- the effective doses to fully understand the activities and
ally, dietary supplementation of poultry broilers with benefits of T. cordifolia as a growth performance
T. cordifolia yielded positive impacts on growth improvement supplement.
Key words: Guduchi, Tinospora cordifolia, clinical pharmacology, feed supplement, poultry
2020 Poultry Science 99:801–811
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2019.10.051

Ó 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Poultry Science Received April 4, 2019.
Association Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND Accepted October 18, 2019.
1
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Corresponding author: [email protected]

801
802 SAEED ET AL.

INTRODUCTION affect the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster in the

F1 generation (Pathak et al., 2016). Except for some
In the past, antibiotic growth promoters (ABGPs) firm conclusions regarding the positive effects of T. cor-
have been extensively used to achieve improved animal difolia against E. coli in vitro, there is a significant gap in
growth, but since antibiotic resistance has become a our knowledge concerning the beneficial impacts of T.
significant issue, complete bans or limited use have cordifolia in the poultry industry. Therefore, with the
been implemented in many countries. Therefore, current review, we encourage researchers to investigate
different measures and strategies have been imple- the effects of T. cordifolia as a natural growth promoter
mented to avoid the use of ABGP-like nutrients by using in poultry, improve our pharmacological knowledge, and
hygienic antibiotics and applying different microbe- implement this approach in practice.
blocking drugs (Baker-Austin et al., 2006; Alagawany
et al., 2015; Saeed et al., 2017). Owing to the need to
overcome some of the drawbacks of ABGP bans, BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION
interest in phytogenic compounds from different T. cordifolia is a large climbing shrub with many elon-
plants is growing because there is strong evidence for gated branches. Its leaves are alternate, simple, pulvi-
the beneficial effects of dietary supplementation, such nate, and roundish, and they have long petioles up to
as improved feed conversion ratios (FCRs) and 15-cm long. The lamina is broadly ovate, 7 nerved and
enhanced growth performance (Babazadeh et al., 2011; deeply cordate at the base, 8- to 15-cm broad, 10- to
Waseem Mirza et al., 2016). Medicinal plants and their 20-cm long, and membranous, and there is whitish
extracts are also interesting in the context of poultry tomentose with a less prominent reticulum and an upper
production as they promote the growth performance, pubescent region. The taxonomical classification of T.
immune response, and general health status of animals cordifolia is shown in Figure 1. The flowers are small,
(Guilhelmelli et al., 2013). Many different plants have unisexual, and greenish-yellow on axillary and terminal
been proven to be safe and inexpensive substitutes for racemes. Female flowers are usually solitary, but male
ABGPs, with powerful therapeutic and prophylactic flowers are clustered. Sepals are in 2 series of 3 each,
effects against different microorganisms (Dhama et al., and the inner sepals are more significant than the outer
2014; Saeed et al., 2018). sepals. The 6 petals are obovate, membranous, and
Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is an herbal plant and smaller than the sepals. The fruits are in aggregates of
has promising properties as an auspicious plant growth 1 to 3 and present as orange and ovoid smooth drupelets
promoter (Sharma et al., 2013), with potential benefits on thick stalks with subterminal style scars (Sinha et al.,
in poultry. T. cordifolia is accepted as a safe feed supple- 2004). This plant is widely grown in various parts of the
ment because it does not affect DNA integrity, blood world and is known with different local names
lymphocytes, or the bone marrow (Chandrasekaran (Figure 2).
et al., 2009). For centuries, T. cordifolia has been well
established as a successful medication for the treatment
of metabolic disorders and diabetes in Indian Ayurvedic PHYTOCHEMISTRY
medicine (Nadkarni, 1976). T. cordifolia contains
Various constituents have been isolated and eluci-
various phenolics, steroids, alkaloids, glycosides, diterpe-
dated from T. cordifolia plants. These components
noid lactones, aliphatic compounds, and polysaccharides
belong to various classes, such as diterpenoid lactones,
(Raina et al., 2013). It is also rich in phosphorus and pro-
alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, polysaccharides, aliphatic
teins (Khosa and Prasad, 1971). Moreover, T. cordifolia
compounds, phenolics, and sesquiterpenoids. The
plants and their extracts exert many favorable effects,
such as antihepatotoxic (Peer and Sharma 1989),
immunomodulatory (Atal et al., 1986), antipyretic
(Vedavathy and Rao, 1991), antidiabetic (Wadood
et al., 1992), and antiulcer activity (Sarma et al.,
1996). Furthermore, T. cordifolia can enhance insulin
secretion from pancreatic b-cells in different species
(Marles and Farnsworth, 1995), and it contributes to
the modulation of lipid- and carbohydrate-related mech-
anisms in response to excessive doses of fructose. This
plant also has positive effects on lipid metabolism, as
indicated by high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipo-
protein, and very-low-density lipoprotein, in addition
to improving hepatic functions and oxidative stress bio-
markers and increasing antioxidant enzymes (namely,
superoxide dismutase [SOD] and glutathione peroxi-
dase) in different animal models (Shirolkar et al., 2016;
Chavan et al., 2017). T. cordifolia could positively Figure 1. Taxonomical classification of Tinospora cordifolia.
 GUDUCHI HERB IN POULTRY DIET 803
Table 1. Chemical compositions of the Tinospora cordifolia herb.
Type of chemical Active principles and their distribution
Alkaloids Tinosporin (L), tinosporic acid (L) (W),
berberine (S), palmitine (S) (R),
tembatarine (S) (R), mangoflorine (S) (R),
choline (S) (R), tinosporin (S) (R),
isocolumbin (R), tetrahydropalmatine
(R).
Glycosides 18 Nonderodane glycoside (S), furanoid
diterpene glycoside (S), tinocordiside (S),
tinocordifoliside (S), cordioside (S),
cordifolioside A, B, C, D (S), syringin (S),
syringinapiosylglycoside (S), palmatosides
C and P (S), cordifoliside A, B, C, D, E (S).
Diterpenoid lactones Diterpenoid (S), tinosporon columbin (S),
clerodane derivatives (W), tinosporon
(W), tinosporisides (W), jateorine (W),
columbin (W), tinosporal, tinosporide.
Steroids Sitosterol (S) (O), octacosanol (S),
heptacosanol (S), nonacosan-15-one (S),
Figure 2. Vernacular names of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) in tetrahydrofuran (S), hydroxyecdysone (S)
different languages. (O), makisterone A (S), giloinsterol (S),
ecdysterone (S)
Sesquiterpenoids einocordifolin (S)
Miscellaneous compounds Jatrorrhizine (R), tinosporidin (W),
compounds isolated were reported by several workers cordifol (W), cordifelone (W), giloin (W),
giloinin (W), arabinogalactan (S)
(Kidwai et al., 1949; Rao and Rao, 1981; Sarma and
Khosa, 1993; Chintalwar et al., 1999; Singh et al., The letters in brackets indicate the part of the plant from which the
chemical constituent has been isolated. S, stem; L, leaf; R, root; W, whole
2003; Jagetia and Rao, 2006) and are listed in Table 1. plant; O, other aerial parts.

PROMISING PHARMACOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES OF GUDUCHI (T. CORDIFOLIA)
usually show practical immunomodulatory and
T. cordifolia has many favorable properties in cytotoxic effects (Kapil and Sharma, 1997; Tripathi
humans, for example, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, et al., 1997; Subramanian et al., 2002). It was reported
antihyperglycemic, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, that such active components could function through
antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, heart-protective, neuro- the production of free radicals in human neutrophils
protective, osteoprotective, analgesic, antianxiety, anti- and boost the phagocytic property of macrophages
stress, and antidiarrheal activities (Sinha et al., 2004; (More and Pai, 2012). In addition, these compounds
Dhama et al., 2017), as presented in Table 2 and can stimulate the production of nitric oxide from macro-
Figure 3. phages and splenocytes, which may explain their anti-
cancer effect (Upadhyaya et al., 2011). Moreover, it was
Immunomodulatory Activity concluded that the aqueous extract of Tinospora exerts
a favorable impact on the production of cytokines and
Little research has been performed on the immuno- immunity-enhancer cells (Upadhyaya et al., 2011). In
modulatory effects of T. cordifolia and its mechanisms mice, it has been reported that the extract of T. cordifolia
of action. Arabinogalactan polysaccharide (G1-4A) is a can upregulate the cytokine IL-6, with subsequent events
compound found in T. cordifolia’s stem; it has protective that include activation of the inflammatory response and
effects against lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxic cytotoxic T cells as well as differentiation of B cells
shock by modulating cytokines and nitric oxide excre- (Sudhakaran et al., 2006). However, investigation of T.
tion by murine macrophages (Desai et al., 2007). The cordifolia in rats suggested that there is a cytotoxic effect
immunomodulatory effect of T. cordifolia may be linked of the active compounds, including compounds in aqueous
to different polysaccharides, such as arabinose, glucose, extracts, such as alkaloids, glycosides di-terpenoid lac-
and fructose (Sharma et al., 2012a,b), and induces a tones, phenolics, steroids, aliphatic compounds, sesquiter-
nonspecific immune response (Alexander et al., 2010); penoids, and polysaccharides (Jahfar, 2003). Another trial
however, the mechanism is poorly elucidated. Moreover, was conducted to investigate the immune-stimulatory ef-
supplementation with T. cordifolia in mice leads to fect of T. cordifolia dry crude extract (with a polyclonal
splenomegaly and an amplified presence of macrophages, B-cell mitogen) in mice; the results demonstrated the
T cells, and B cells, as well as increased expression of immune-stimulatory role of this extract via induction of
antiapoptotic genes in immune cells (Raghu et al., 2009). IL-1 secretion and activation of macrophages (Raghu
Many active compounds, including those in T. cordifo- et al., 2009). In vitro, the (1,4)-alpha-d-glucan derived
lia, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-formylannonain, from T. cordifolia was able to activate human lympho-
11-hydroxymustakone, cordifolioside A, tinocordiside, cytes and downregulate the production of inflammatory
syringin, and magnoflorine (Sharma et al., 2012a,b), mediators (Koppada et al., 2009).
804 SAEED ET AL.

Table 2. Some beneficial applications of the Tinospora cordifolia herb.

Activities Modes of action References
Cardioprotective activity Modulates lipid metabolism by inhibiting Kumari et al., 2016
cholesterol and glucuronides
Immunomodulatory activity Stimulation of a non-specific immune Alexander et al., 2010
response
Hepatoprotective activity Modulates the activity and synthesis of Kavitha et al., 2011
certain enzymes, including AGPT, AST,
and ALP
Neuroprotective activity Increases the levels of pAkt-1 and Mishra et al., 2016
CamKII-a
Anti-inflammatory activity Downregulates proinflammatory cytokines Sannegowda et al., 2015
Antidiabetic activity Lowers hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase, Stanely and Menon, 2003
serum acid phosphatase, alkaline
phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase
activities
Hypolipidemic activity Reduces the blood lipid concentration Stanely et al., 1999
Antitumor Modulates lipid peroxidation through the Jagetia and Rao, 2006
release of LDH and a reduction in GST

Abbreviations: AGPT, agal gel precipitation test; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; AST, aspartate amino-
transferase; GST, glutathione S-transferase; LDH, lactic acid dehydrogenase.

Antioxidant Activity activity (Prince and Menon, 2001, 2003; Sivakumar

and Rajan, 2010). In addition, extracts of T. cordifolia
Prince et al. (2004) evaluated the oxidative status of wild (Menispermaceae) exhibited an inhibitory effect
the heart, liver, kidney, and brain after using T. cordifo- against antioxidant agents and aldose reductase
lia extract; such extracts were concluded to be more (Gacche and Dhole, 2011), with a subsequent reduction
effective than insulin and glibenclamide. Moreover, T. in free radical–induced chemotoxicity (Rawal et al.,
cordifolia has been used to attenuate ischemic brain 2004). In addition, extracts of T. cordifolia have been re-
damage via preventing ROS production, with conse- ported to have potent free radical–scavenging activity
quent amelioration of oxidative stress–mediated cell in- against hydroxyl radicals (OH), superoxide anion
juries caused by oxygen/glucose deprivation through (O22), peroxynitrite anion (ONOO2), and NO radicals
direct effects and modulation of gene expression (Rawal et al., 2004). They also reduce the levels of
(Jagetia and Baliga, 2004; Rawal et al., 2004). malondialdehyde and ROS and increase glutathione
However, Rawal et al. (2004) concluded that the amelio- (GSH) and total thiol levels (Shivananjappa and
rative effect of T. cordifolia against rat hippocampal sli- Muralidhara, 2012). On the other hand, T. cordifolia ex-
ces exposed to low glucose and oxygen levels was due to tracts have been demonstrated to play an antioxidant
its strong free radical-scavenging effect. Moreover, oral ameliorative role against aflatoxin-induced nephrotoxi-
administration of T. cordifolia methanolic extract to city, which may be attributed to their contents of alka-
alloxan-induced diabetic rats resulted in the upregula- loids, such as tinosporin, choline, palmatine,
tion of lipid peroxide and catalase activity on the eryth- isocolumbin, magnoflorine, and tetrahydropalmatine
rocyte membrane and downregulated SOD and GPx (Gupta and Sharma, 2011). In diabetic rats, the tissue

Figure 3. An overview on vital biological effects of Tinospora cordifolia. Abbreviations: TCE, ethanolic extract of Tinospora cordifolia.
 GUDUCHI HERB IN POULTRY DIET 805
content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance different liver diseases, many of which contain T. cordi-
(TBARS) was increased significantly in the brain but folia. In addition, T. cordifolia root extracts have shown
decreased in cardiac tissues. In addition, the hepatic pro- hepatoprotective properties against rifampicin- and
duction of SOD, GPx, and GSH was enhanced after T. pyrazinamide-induced liver injuries (Adhvaryu et al.,
cordifolia treatment (Prince et al., 2004). The arabino- 2007). T. cordifolia also showed ameliorative effects
galactan polysaccharide derived from T. cordifolia against carbon tetrachloride (CCL4)-induced liver dam-
possessed an acceptable protective property against age via reducing expression of the liver enzymes aspar-
iron-induced lipid peroxidation in brain homogenates tate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase
from rats (Subramanian et al., 2002). The hydroalco- (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), as well as
holic extract of T. cordifolia aerial roots has been re- total bilirubin (Kavitha et al., 2011), preventing fibrous
ported to exert potent beneficial effects on the liver proliferation and activating tissue regeneration (Rege
contents of antioxidant enzymes, GSH, and lipid perox- et al., 1984). Similarly, Sharma and Pandey (2010b)
idation in Swiss albino mice (Singh et al., 2006). The leaf reported the ameliorative effect of T. cordifolia against
extract of T. cordifolia has been concluded to have lead-induced liver damage. In another study, morpho-
potent antioxidant and ROS-scavenging activities that logical, biochemical, and functional hepatic changes in
may be attributed to its content of alpha-glucosidase in- albino rats intoxicated with CCL4 were investigated
hibitor (saponarin) (Sengupta et al., 2009). During afla- with concurrent treatment with chloroform extract
toxicosis, it has been reported that treatment with T. from T. cordifolia at a dose of 200 mg/kg. Treatment
cordifolia extract, which is able to scavenge ROS, down- resulted in a decrease in liver weight; however, it failed
regulates TBARS levels and stimulates the activity of to affect the elevated levels of serum ALT, AST, ALP,
SOD, GSH, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, GPx, and serum bilirubin (Reddy et al., 1993). Moreover,
and glutathione reductase in the kidney (Gupta and HPN-12, an Ayurvedic preparation containing T. cordi-
Sharma, 2011). folia, was found to have ameliorative effects against
Oral administration of T. cordifolia root extracts can CCL4-induced liver injury in male Sprague Dawley al-
restore antioxidant markers, such as GPx, SOD, and bino rats (Latha et al., 1999).
GSH (Patel and Mishra, 2011). T. cordifolia extracts Leaf and stem aqueous extracts of T. cordifolia
have been found to regulate the oxidative stress induced have significant hepatoprotective effects against lead
in the maternal liver in diabetic animals via decreased nitrate intoxication in male Swiss albino mice
levels of malondialdehyde and ROS and increased GSH (Sharma and Pandey, 2010a,b). The results revealed
levels (Shivananjappa and Muralidhara, 2012). that lead nitrate toxicity caused the downregulation
of SOD and catalase levels and the upregulation of
Anti-Inflammatory and Antipyretic Activity ALT, AST, and ALP levels (Sharma and Pandey,
2010b). However, the concurrent administration of
Fever, inflammation, and pain are traditionally stem and leaf aqueous extract of T. cordifolia
treated with T. cordifolia preparations (Ashok et al., improved such parameters.
2011; Hussain et al., 2015). These preparations can
reduce carrageenan-induced edema, indicating their
anti-inflammatory potential (Biswajyoti et al., 2014). Neuroprotective and Antistress Activity
Anti-inflammatory effects of T. cordifolia were also
detected in autoimmune arthritis mediated by decreased Little is known about the ability of T. cordifolia to
synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines, for example, IL- improve mental skills and memory in subjects with
1b, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-a, and IL-17 mental deficits and behavioral disorders (Phukan
(Sannegowda et al., 2015). Some data also suggest that et al., 2015). Moreover, T. cordifolia has beneficial
T. cordifolia can mediate the peripheral and central ner- properties in patients with depression (Walia, 2015),
vous system mechanisms and exert analgesic effects senile and presenile dementia, and impaired memory
(Goel et al., 2014). In addition, T. cordifolia has antipy- (Pushpangadan et al., 2010). Mishra et al. (2016)
retic effects against fever (Pushpangadan et al., 2006). observed that T. cordifolia ethanolic extract (TCE)
The anticancer drug cyclophosphamide has been increased the levels of CamKII-a and pAkt-1 in
concluded to downregulate the cytokines IL-2 and inter- sleep-deprived animals, proving its neuroprotective ef-
feron-g and to upregulate the proinflammatory cytokine fects, possibly due to the inhibition of changes in 2
TNF-a; such effects could be successfully reversed via discrete brain regions. Thus, the TCE seems to inhibit
treatment with T. cordifolia (Hamsa and Kuttan, 2012). stress-induced changes in 2 discrete brain regions and
inhibit the activation of apoptotic pathways by
inducing cell survival (the schematic diagram in
Hepatoprotective Activity
Figure 4 presents the possible molecular pathways
T. cordifolia was reported to be an efficient hepato- associated with the TCE in sleep-deprived animals).
protective agent because of its ability to scavenge free Moreover, the antistress properties of T. cordifolia
ROS, which enhances its hepatic regeneration effect ethanol extract (100 mg/kg) were reported to be
(Kumar et al., 2013). Currently, several polyherbal prep- comparable to those of diazepam (2.5 mg/kg)
arations have been marketed for the treatment of (Sarma et al., 1996).
806 SAEED ET AL.

Figure 4. Schematic figure depicting a possible molecular pathway in the neuroprotective activity of ethanolic extract of Tinospora cordifolia
(Mishra et al., 2016).

Cardioprotective and Renoprotective RNase, ALP, aldolase, a-amylase, acid phosphatase,

Activity and protease activities (Sohni et al., 1995). In addition,
the hypolipidemic effect of T. cordifolia aqueous extract
Berberine is an alkaloid found in T. cordifolia. It can (2.5 and 5.0 g/kg BW) was evaluated in alloxan diabetic
decrease endothelial inflammation, with subsequent car- rats after administration for 6 wk, and the results
dioprotective effects (Cicero and Baggioni, 2016). T. revealed significant decreases in serum and tissue choles-
cordifolia supplementation also modulates lipid meta- terol, free fatty acids, and phospholipids. Compared
bolism via inhibiting glucuronide and cholesterol with glibenclamide, the most potent hypolipidemic effect
(Kumari et al., 2016) and protecting against infarction of the aqueous extract is achieved at a dose of 5.0 g/kg
due to its antioxidant properties (Rao et al., 2005), body weight (Prince et al., 1999).
such as peroxide levels in heart tissue and serum (Mary
et al., 2003; Rao et al., 2005). In addition, the water
extract of T. cordifolia produced a marked transient EFFECTS OF T. CORDIFOLIA IN POULTRY
decrease in blood pressure, along with diuresis in rats FARMING
and stronger ventricular contraction in dogs (Singh
et al., 1975). Moreover, it was concluded that the water Recently, many researchers reported the favorable im-
extract of T. cordifolia was able to dissolve urinary pacts of T. cordifolia on poultry health and production
calculi (Rai and Gupta, 1967) and downregulate the parameters. The results of those studies showed that
levels of urea in the blood of uremic dogs and patients T. cordifolia has a positive effect on poultry growth per-
(Singh et al., 1975). formance (Bhardwaj et al., 2011; Singh et al., 2014) via
improving the FCR, antioxidant activity, and
immunomodulatory properties of T. cordifolia. Oral
Antiulcerative, Digestive, and administration of alcoholic T. cordifolia (100 mg/kg
Hypolipidemic Activity body weight) induced a significant elevation in
TBARS in the liver (0.78 6 0.03) and kidney
Compared with diazepam, the TCE exhibited signifi- (0.42 6 0.06) compared with normal rates (0.78 6 0.06
cant antiulcerative effects under stress conditions and 0.41 6 0.08, respectively). There was also a
(Sarma et al., 1995). Moreover, the antiamoebic impact significant decrease in liver GSH (50.8 6 2.4)
of T. cordifolia against Entamoeba histolytica was inves- compared with normal levels (51.4 6 3.9) (Prince
tigated; the results revealed various degrees of inhibition et al., 2004); in addition, the mean body weight gain of
of different digestion-related enzymes, such as DNase, treated birds was increased significantly (P 5 0.05) after
 GUDUCHI HERB IN POULTRY DIET 807
6 wk of age compared with that of control birds (1,165 g T. cordifolia. Latheef et al. (2013) conducted a study
vs. 1,148 g, respectively), and the mean FCR of treated to assess the immunomodulatory potential of T. cordifo-
birds was significantly (P 5 0.05) lower than that of con- lia (1% pure extracts) against infectious anemia in
trol birds (1.45 vs. 1.54, respectively) (Singh et al., chicks. The chickens showed improved humoral and
2009). cellular immune responses and reduced viral loads.
Preventing colibacillosis caused by different serotypes Furthermore, Maryamma et al. (1990) conducted a
of E. coli is a challenging task because these organisms study on ducks with aflatoxicosis, indicating a higher
are resistant to different antimicrobials (Rahman packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, and
et al., 2004; Li et al., 2007). Therefore, much effort has body weight gain in T. cordifolia–supplemented
been made to investigate natural antimicrobials. In (100 g/L of drinking water) birds. Many studies have
addition, T. cordifolia extract exerted antibacterial investigated the effects of T. cordifolia on broiler perfor-
activity against E. coli in vitro studies; the maximum mance. Among those studies, Kulkarni et al. (2011)
activity of the extract was observed at a 1:32 dilution, showed that dried T. cordifolia stem (0.1–0.3%)
and the minimum inhibitory concentration was improved body weight and the FCR and reduced feed
reported at a 1:64 dilution. All the dilutions showed intake and drumstick and breast yields. On the other
significantly fewer colony-forming units than the posi- hand, T. cordifolia supplementation did not affect hemo-
tive control. However, the lowest count was observed globin levels, the relative weights of immune organs, the
at a 1:32 dilution of 15% extract, with a maximum cell-mediated immune response, or oxidative stress but
percent inhibition of bacterial growth of 53.59% positively affected the humoral immune response.
compared with all other dilutions (1:2 to 1:128) (Mam Bhardwaj et al. (2012) evaluated the impacts of
and Jakhar, 2016). Furthermore, Baishya et al. (2008) aqueous extracts of T. cordifolia dried stem (1 g/kg
observed a significant reduction in the mortality rate feed) on the serum biochemical and immune responses
of broilers infected with Salmonella enteritidis when of broiler chickens. Experimental results indicated that
they were supplemented with a polyherbal extract con- the hemagglutination antibody titers displayed an overall
taining T. cordifolia at 5 wk of age; the mean body- increasing trend in the treated groups with the growing
weight of the prophylactically treated birds was age of the birds. According to later authors, T. cordifolia
significantly higher (1,350 6 1.78 g) than that of the increased total lymphocyte (26.166 6 0.307) and erythro-
infected birds (1,000 6 2.04 g), while that of noninfected, cyte counts (261.830 6 7.162) and hemoglobin levels
nonmedicated birds was 1,470 6 1.51 g. High mortality (8.61 6 0.113) vs. the control (23.667 6 0.421,
of up to 32% was observed in the infected untreated 219.333 6 7.723, and 8.12 6 0.108, respectively). As stud-
group; however, this value was 4 and 10% in groups I ied by Sharma et al. (2008), the positive effects of dietary
and III, respectively. The effect of T. cordifolia might T. cordifolia on weight gain led to a maximum final body-
be due to its antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and immu- weight of 1,614 g, which was higher than that of the
nomodulatory effects (Kolte et al., 2007). T. cordifolia untreated control group (1,492 g), after 6 wk, a lower
methanolic extract increased avian T- and B-cell prolif- FCR (1.86) than that of the control (2.03), and a lower
eration, showing a potential immunomodulatory effect mortality rate in treated groups (4.2%) than that in the
in poultry (Sonu et al., 2013). Rajkumar et al. (2009) untreated control (8.8%). Joshi et al. (2015) studied the
showed that supplementation of the broiler diet (1%) influences of supplementation with T. cordifolia stem
with T. cordifolia resulted in increased humoral and powder on broiler growth performance. In a completely
cell-mediated immunity against Newcastle disease. randomized design with 3 treatments, 135 chicken
Furthermore, Chaudhari et al. (2009) concluded that broilers were fed a 0, 1, or 2 g/kg basal diet for 6 wk.
an aqueous extract of T. cordifolia showed better effi- The final body weight was improved (4.8%) by T. cordi-
cacy against gout in broilers as an alcoholic extract, sug- folia supplementation (1 g/kg feed) in comparison to the
gesting the water solubility of active substances in T. control, and a lower mortality rate was recorded after
cordifolia. Similarly, Alexander et al. (2010) reported dietary administration (2.2 vs. 6.7 in the treated and
the immune-stimulatory properties of the water-soluble control groups, respectively). The improvement in body
fraction of the T. cordifolia leaf fraction in fish. weight and the reduction of the mortality rate may be
T. cordifolia is known to enhance general immunity, due to the presence of some constituents in T. cordifolia
prevent oxidative stress and different diseases, increase that alleviate the physiological consequences of environ-
leukocyte counts, and decrease neutropenia in rats mental stressors (Joshi et al., 2015).
(Bishayi et al., 2002). Lakra (2008) showed that dietary Latheef et al. (2017) estimated the immunomodula-
supplementation with T. cordifolia significantly tory effects of pure extracts of T. cordifolia (with
improved humoral and cellular immunity in broilers, active tinosporins at 1.5% as a powder form) in immuno-
and the maximum antibody titer was observed in groups suppressed chickens with chicken infectious anemia vi-
fed with T. cordifolia. The increase in antibody titer in rus. T. cordifolia–supplemented birds showed reduced
the treated group might be due to the effect of IL-1, viral loads and increased CD41 T-cell counts
which stimulates B-cell proliferation and immunoglob- (1,296 6 8.7) in comparison to those of the infected con-
ulin secretion. Similarly, Dhote et al. (2005) reported trol (984.3 6 11.3). Similarly, Nety et al. (2017) found
improved leukocyte counts and IL-1 and IL-2 levels in that supplementation with a dried stem powder of T.
animals fed with an herbal preparation containing cordifolia in the amount of 0.4 g/L of drinking water
808 SAEED ET AL.

Figure 5. The figure showing the promising effects of Guduchi in poultry.

significantly (P , 0.05) increased the levels of hemagglu- Recently, Sharma et al. (2018) investigated the influ-
tinin titer values (6.03) compared with those of the con- ences of T. cordifolia (0.5% leaf meal powder) to identify
trol, BMD antibiotic, and dried leaf powder from suitable alternatives to antibiotics in diet turkeys for
Azadirachta indica groups (3.33, 3.87, and 4.12, respec- 8 wk. Increased body weight gain was observed from 5
tively). In addition, the cell-mediated immune responses to 8 wk of age, and no differences were found in the
of the T. cordifolia group were 3.35 vs. 2.12 and 3.82 vs. feed conversion rate between groups. In addition, plasma
2.63 in comparison to those of the control group at 24 uric acid and ALP in the turkeys were significantly
and 48 h, respectively. The supplementation of T. cordi- reduced (P , 0.05) by 36.6% and 3.5% for the T. cordi-
folia may enhance immune function in the birds by folia supplementation and control groups, respectively.
increasing the thickness of the abdominal skin at both The proposed effects of this herb in avian production
24 and 48 h after challenge (Nety et al., 2017). are shown in Figure 5.
Sharma et al. (2008) reported that broilers fed with
herbal liver stimulants (250 g/ton) containing T. cordi- TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS
folia for 6 wk exhibited a significantly (P , 0.05)
improved dressing percentage (7.1%) and eviscerated Until now, no study has reported the toxicological
weight percentage (5.56%), and meat color scores (5.56 effects of T. cordifolia, even being tested in a very high
vs. 5.63) and meat pH (5.7 vs. 5.84) were significantly dose (900 mg/D) in allergic (Badar et al., 2005) and
reduced compared with those of the control. This result HIV individuals (Kalikar et al., 2008). Similarly, in ani-
proved that T. cordifolia significantly prevented color mal models, no adverse effects were recorded in the renal
loss in the meat, thus improving meat quality, and sug- system (Nayampalli et al., 1988), gastrointestinal system
gested that some of the constituent herbs successfully (Sheth et al., 2001), and central nervous system (Agarwal
inhibited lipid peroxidation of the meat, leading to bet- et al., 2002) when Guduchi is used for 2–4 wk. Further
ter quality and enhancing the shelf life of the meat. Die- studies should be warranted using specially designed pro-
tary T. cordifolia was reported to strengthen the activity jects to explore the long-term supplemental effects of
of the heart and liver and protect the cells against T. cordifolia in various animal models, including chicken.
inflammation, enlargement, and injury. The effects of
the herbal immunomodulatory liquid and powder form CONCLUSION
on sensory qualities of Giriraja chickens were compared
with those of antibiotics (levamisole powder) for 8 wk. Guduchi (T. cordifolia) is a well-known plant, especially
Dharmaraj et al. (2017a) found that T. cordifolia can in traditional medicine, and is one of the most commer-
affect sensory qualities, including flavor (4.65), taste cially exploited plants in the pharmaceutical industry.
(4.10), and juiciness (3.95), in free-range Giriraja It has many beneficial effects, such as antioxidant,
chickens vs. the control (3.25, 3.70, and 3.65, respec- hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic, anti-
tively). However, the dressing percentage, breast, and pyretic, antihyperlipidemic, cardiovascular-protective,
thigh muscle ratio, and relative visceral organs were anti-inflammatory, osteoprotective, neuroprotective,
not significantly improved (Dharmaraj et al., 2017b). antianxiety, analgesic, antidiarrheal, and antistress
 GUDUCHI HERB IN POULTRY DIET 809
effects. In poultry, T. cordifolia can be used as a potent Bishayi, B., S. Roychowdhury, S. Ghosh, and M. Sengupta. 2002.
immunomodulator and an active antimicrobial agent Hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory properties of Tinospora
cordifolia in CCL4 intoxicated mature albino rats. J. Toxicol. Sci.
against colibacillosis or S. enteritidis. It could be used as 27:139–146.
1% extract or dried powder for inclusion in broilers’ diet. Biswajyoti, P., B. L. Umretia, P. U. Vaishnav, P. P. Kumar,
In conclusion, there is a severe gap in our knowledge con- V. J. Shukla, and B. Ravishankar. 2014. Anti-inflammatory
cerning the use of T. cordifolia as a successful supplement, activity ofguduchi ghana (aqueous extract of tinospora cordifo-
liamiers). Ayu. 35:108–110.
particularly concerning its mechanisms of action and suffi- Chandrasekaran, C., L. Mathuram, P. Daivasigamani, and
cient concentrations, of which almost no investigations U. Bhatnagar. 2009. Tinospora cordifolia, a safety evaluation.
have been performed. For practical use of T. cordifolia in Toxicol. Vitro. 23:1220–1226.
Chaudhari, G. H., M. R. Shitut, P. V. Deshmukh, and
poultry rearing, further research is strongly suggested, M. M. Gatne. 2009. Evaluation of anti-gout activity of acqueous
especially with extracted substances to confirm the effec- and alcoholic extract of Tinospora cordifolia in diclofenac induced
tiveness of pure compounds. gout in chicken. J. Bombay Vet. Coll. 17:39–42.
Chavan, T., A. Ghadge, M. Karandikar, V. Pandit, P. Ranjekar,
O. Kulkarni, A. Kuvalekar, and N. Mantri. 2017. Hepatoprotective
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS activity of satwa, an ayurvedic formulation, against alcohol-
induced liver injury in rats. Altern. Ther. Health Med. 23:34–40.
This work was supported by the National Nature Chintalwar, G., A. Jain, A. Sipahimalani, A. Banerji, P. Sumariwalla,
R. Ramakrishnan, and K. Sainis. 1999. An immunologically active
Science Foundation of China (# 31572365) and the arabinogalactan from Tinospora cordifolia. Phytochemistry.
Key Sci-Tech Innovation Team of Shaanxi Province 52:1089–1093.
(# 2017KCT-24) P.R. China. The authors also thanks Cicero, A. F., and A. Baggioni. 2016. Berberine and its role in chronic
Department of Poultry Science, Cholistan University disease. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 928:27–45.
Desai, V. R., R. Ramkrishnan, G. J. Chintalwar, and K. B. Sainis. 2007.
of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur 63100, G1-4a, an immunomodulatory polysaccharide from tinospora cor-
Pakistan. difolia, modulates macrophage responses and protects mice against
lipopolysaccharide induced endotoxic shock. Int. Immunopharma-
col. 7:1375–1386.
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