Anti-Inflammatory, Immunomodulatory, and Antioxidant Activities of Allicin, Norfloxacin, or Their Combination against Pasteurella multocida Infection in Male New Zealand Rabbits

The present study investigated the efficacy of allicin as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunostimulant agent in reducing the severity of Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) type B infection in rabbits. Fifty New Zealand rabbits, 5 weeks old, were divided equally into five groups. Except for group 1, all groups were intranasally infected with P. multocida type B (2 x 10(5) colony forming units/ml/rabbit). Then, group 3 rabbits were orally treated with allicin (50 mg/kg BW) for 5 days, group 4 rabbits received a single oral dose of norfloxacin 30% (100 mg/kg BW), while group 5 rabbits were treated with a combination of norfloxacin and allicin. Hematological, serum biochemical, inflammatory cytokine, immunological, and histopathological analyses were performed. Results revealed that rabbits, infected with P. multocida type B, exhibited macrocytic hypochromic anemia and leukocytosis with a significant elevation in the phagocytic percentage and index. Moreover, significant reductions in serum total protein, albumin, globulin, and immunoglobulin (IgG and IgM) levels were observed in infected rabbits. Infected rabbits showed significant increases in serum inflammatory cytokine (TNF-alpha and IL-6), alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and serum bilirubin (total, direct, and indirect) levels. Further, P. multocida infection induced oxidative stress as demonstrated by the significant reduction in serum levels of reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase enzyme and marked elevation in serum malondialdehyde. Treatment with allicin, norfloxacin, or their combination significantly ameliorated the alterations in all studied parameters. In conclusion, allicin could ameliorate the inflammation and oxidative stress, induced by P. multocida type B infection in rabbits.