A multiepitope vaccine encoding four Eimeria epitopes with PLGA nanospheres: a novel vaccine candidate against coccidiosis in laying chickens

Table 6 Immunoprotection with different immune dosages.

Group	Coefficient of growth (14–28 days of age)		Coefficient of growth (28–35 days of age)		Oocyst burden in caecal contents		Oocyst reduction (%)
Group	Value (%)	p value	Value (%)	p value	Value (× 10⁶, OPG)	p value	Oocyst reduction (%)
Blank	131.771 ± 17.237	–	19.447 ± 5.140	–	3.585 ± 0.316	–	–
Mucosa-100	127.427 ± 42.997	0.9993	18.623 ± 4.598	0.9975	0.951 ± 0.184	<0.0001	73.486
Mucosa-200	135.419 ± 67.403	0.9998	39.854 ± 11.459	<0.0001	1.130 ± 0.213	<0.0001	68.483
Mucosa-300	154.931 ± 92.832	0.8056	40.750 ± 6.854	<0.0001	0.821 ± 0.157	<0.0001	77.112
Mucosa-400	112.170 ± 54.163	0.8793	38.501 ± 8.069	<0.0001	0.688 ± 0.379	<0.0001	80.811

Ten animals in each group were weighed at 14 (before the first immunization), 28 (before challenge), and 35 (seven days after challenge) days of age, and animals in each group were challenged with E. tenella at 28 days of age and euthanized seven days later. The caecal contents were collected to evaluate the effects of different dosages of NSLC-PLGA nanospheres on immunoprotection. Each sample was assessed once, and the oocyst burden in the caecal contents was estimated by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test. Values of oocyst burden are shown as the mean ± SD (n = 10). p values were obtained by comparison with the blank group.

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