Document Type : Al-Qadisiyah Conference 2025
Authors
1 Department of Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah City, Iraq.
2 Public Health University of AL-Qadissiyah , V eterinary Medicine College ,
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in poultry remain a serious problem for animal health and food safety. Among these, Enterococcus faecalis and Pasteurella multocida are frequent pathogens. Curcumin is a natural compound with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, but its poor solubility and stability limit clinical use. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of nano-formulated curcumin against MDR of broiler chickens. Here, 100 clinical samples were collected from lungs and ceca of broilers in Al-Qadisiyah Province. Isolates were identified by culture and PCR. Nanocurcumin was prepared using a PVA-PEG solvent evaporation method and characterized by UV-Vis, SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Antibacterial activity was tested using agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH assay. Nanocurcumin showed significant antibacterial activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Against Pasteurella, inhibition zones increased from 9.8 ± 0.42 mm at 20 mg/mL to 20.01 ± 0.86 mm at 80 mg/mL (p < 0.05). For Enterococcus, inhibition zones remained smaller (7.1 ± 0.14 to 7.6 ± 0.15 mm across concentrations) but were still significant compared with controls (p < 0.05). MIC values were 83.3 ± 16.6 µg/mL for Pasteurella and 166.6 ± 33.3 µg/mL for Enterococcus. Nanocurcumin also showed strong antioxidant activity, reaching 83.22 ± 0.26% radical scavenging at 160 µg/ml. In conclusion, nanocurcumin is a promising natural agent with antibacterial and antioxidant potential against MDR poultry pathogens. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm safety and application in animal farming.
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