Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Mansoura, Egypt
2
Botany department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt, Mansoura, Egypt
3
Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
4
Department of Development of Animal Wealth, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.
Abstract
This study evaluated the in-vivo efficacy of orally administered solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNPs), either alone or loaded with ciprofloxacin or meropenem, as novel nano-drug delivery systems in broiler chicks experimentally infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The therapeutic effects of these formulations on growth performance, immunological biomarkers, and the expression of immune-modulatory and antioxidant-related genes were assessed and compared to conventional antibiotic therapy. The results demonstrated that both nano-drug formulations exerted superior therapeutic efficacy, with recovery rates of 79% and 75.8% for SLNPs-CIP and SLNPs-MEM, respectively. Treatment with SLNPs-CIP significantly reduced inflammatory responses, as evidenced by a 52.3% and 52.2% decrease in hepatic and ileal TNF-α concentration, respectively, and markedly enhanced antioxidant defence, with SOD activity increasing by 178.4% in the liver and 189.8% in the ileum. At the molecular level, SLNPs-CIP down-regulated TNF-α gene expression by 75.5% (liver) and 84.1% (ileum), and up-regulated SOD gene expression by 188% and 481.3%, respectively. These molecular and biochemical modulations were accompanied by notable histopathological improvements in liver and intestinal tissues. Overall, the findings highlight the superior performance of SLNP-based drug delivery, particularly SLNPs-CIP, as a promising nanotherapeutic approach for controlling P. aeruginosa infections in poultry by improving drug bioavailability, prolonging antibacterial effects, and mitigating tissue damage.
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