Vet World Vol.18 February-2025 Article - 9
Research Article
Veterinary World, 18(2): 341-347
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.341-347
Innovative use of wild Egyptian artichoke extract to control fowl cholera in vitro
2. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
3. Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt.
4. Central Biotechnology Laboratory, Collage of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
5. Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 12211, Giza, Egypt.
6. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia.
7. Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
8. Department of Avian and Rabbit Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 44511 Zagazig University, Egypt.
9. Veterinary Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
Background and Aim: Fowl cholera, caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pasteurella multocida type A, poses a significant threat to chicken production globally. This study investigates the potential of ethanolic extracts from Wild Egyptian Artichoke (WEA) (Cynara cardunculus L. var. sylvestris) to modulate virulence-associated genes and provide an alternative control strategy.
Materials and Methods: A total of 160 tissue samples from diseased chickens were collected and analyzed. Phenotypic, biochemical (via Vitek 2 Compact), and molecular methods were used to identify P. multocida. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed the presence of key adhesion and colonization genes (omp87, ptfA, pfhA) in MDR isolates. The antimicrobial efficacy of WEA ethanolic extract was assessed using disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Gene expression changes were evaluated using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR after treatment with sub-inhibitory extract concentrations.
Results: Eleven isolates (6.9% prevalence) of P. multocida type A were confirmed, with four showing resistance to over five antimicrobial classes. The ethanolic WEA extract demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones of up to 25 mm, MIC values ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL, and MBC values between 8 and 32 μg/mL. Gene expression analysis revealed up to threefold downregulation in omp87 (0.28-fold), pfhA (0.25-fold), and ptfA (0.12-fold) after treatment.
Conclusion: The WEA ethanolic extract effectively downregulates critical virulence genes in MDR P. multocida, highlighting its potential as a novel natural agent for controlling fowl cholera in chicken. This study emphasizes the importance of exploring plant-based antimicrobials to combat resistance and improve animal health.
Keywords: fowl cholera, gene expression, multidrug resistance, Pasteurella multocida, virulence genes, wild Egyptian artichoke.
How to cite this article: Wahdan A, Elsebai MF, Elhaig MM, El-Sabagh IM, Ahmed MS, Mohamed M, and Abd-Allah EM (2025) Innovative use of wild Egyptian artichoke extract to control fowl cholera in vitro, Veterinary World, 18(2): 341-347.
Received: 2024-10-23 Accepted: 2025-01-07 Published online: 2025-02-13
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.341-347
Copyright: Wahdan, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
