In Agriculture Industry of Pakistan poultry sector plays a vigorous, animated and a well
known role. There are more than 1.5 million peoples whose financial gain and employments are
related directly or indirectly to this sector which provides livelihood to about 60 % rural
inhabitants. Meat and eggs are the products of poultry industry. In Gross Domestic Products its
constant cost factor is 1.2%, in livestock is 10.4% and in agriculture it contributes 5.76%.In the
total meat production quantity of the country, poultry meat contribution is 26.8 % (Anonymous
2013).
The member of family Paramyxoviridae, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) contains six genes,
single stranded RNA genome without segment and have different strains arranged as virulent
which is velogenic, intermediate virulent mesogenic and less virulent lentogenic. The Newcastle
disease or pseudo-fowl pest is complete destructive having high death ratio in poultry. The NDV
attacks on respiratory system causes distress, produce nervous disorders, disturb gastrointestinal
tract and causes hemorrhagic lesions in intestine, downward change in level of egg production
and high mortality (Alexander 2000).
In embryonated eggs the cells attached with allantoic cavity help to grow and develop the
NDV virus which is inoculated for the purpose of propagation. In approximately 24 hours post
inoculation the virus reach higher concentration. First of all the virus destroys the live cells in
which it is growing and then it is widely spread by the allantoic fluid. If the inoculated strains of
virus are virulent i:e velogenic, embryos die within two days post inoculation mostly. The
embryos which are dead or alive show histopathological and gross changes remarkably caused
by the inoculated NDV (Al-Garib et al. 2003).
Introduction
2
To evaluate the value or determine the pathogenicity of the virus or to propagate Newcastle
disease virus the embryos of chicken have been usually used. The NDV strains which are
virulent means velogenic, kill the embryo within 48 hours, and lentogenic or less
virulent(mesogenic) take 5 to 7 days to kill either the embryos or may not kill at all (Lam et al.
1995).
It always had an inherited pattern of thoughts to advance the progress in the process of
healing by using herbal plants in all the civilizations. All over the world, to provide treatment for
diseases in daily life medicinal herbal plants and seeds have been used since hundreds of year
ago and in ahead of times. Plants play important role and serves as a base in the development of
drugs (Ates and Turgay 2003).
For the promotion and well being of health of both animals and humans, since thousands of
year ago black cumin seeds which is commonly known as black seed are used. It is stated by
Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) that black seeds are treatment for every disease except the final
state the death. Its scientific name is Nigella sativa and belongs to the family Ranunculaceae.
The black seeds contain the main active and wider in scope ingredient named as crystalline
nigellone. The composition of other ingredients which are present in these seeds are proteins,
vitamins B1, B2, B3, oleic acid, myristic acid, linolic acid, folic acid, thymoquinone, palmitic
acid, beta sitosterol and stearic acid. In black seed the main elements are phosphorous, iron, zinc,
calcium, and copper. Anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-tumor, anti-hypertensive, immunestimulator,
anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine are the main effects of black cumin seeds
(AitMbarek et al. 2007).
Black cumin seeds are a hypothetical remedy for all ills, diseases and disorders, but not to
stop growing old and death from happening. In Bible it is identified as black cumin and tending
Introduction
3
to restore health (Worthen et al. 1997).
The antiviral drugs are not usually used in poultry industry due to economic problems
and may cause toxicity, but some drugs shows effect against virus which effect poultry. The
antiviral drug Ribavirin was used to compare its effect with a herbal plant to see which one is
effective. Higher doses produce toxicity and also were the cause of death. The 20μl/ml dose
showed the significant effect and the embryoes remain live after experimentally infected with
Newcastle disease virus (Omer et al. 2014).