Table 2.

Effect of Ag NPs on Immune Organ Indexes (BF, Thymus Gland, and Spleen)

Treatmentd	Bursa of Fabricius			Thymus			Spleen
	D 21	D 28	D 35	D 21	D 28	D 35	D 21	D 28	D 35
G1	0.138	0.127	0.080	0.884ab	0.826	0.670	0.071b	0.065c	0.069
G2	0.127	0.112	0.071	0.719b	0.713	0.531	0.135a	0.066c	0.063
G3	0.126	0.135	0.068	1.040a	0.841	0.529	0.148a	0.110a	0.063
G4	0.138	0.126	0.075	1.061a	0.800	0.573	0.136a	0.086b	0.065
SEM	0.004	0.004	0.002	0.049	0.028	0.024	0.009	0.006	0.002
p- value	NS	NS	NS	0.014	NS	NS	<0.0001	<0.0001	NS

Notes: ^a,b,cMean values with different superscripts in the same column are significantly different (P < 0.05). ^dTreatments: G1, chicks infected with Clostridium perfringens but not treated with Ag NPs; G2, chicks infected with C. perfringens and treated with Ag NPs; G3, uninfected chicks treated with Ag NPs; G4, chicks neither infected nor treated with Ag NPs.

Abbreviations: SEM, standard error of mean; NS, not significant.