Research Note: Anti-inflammatory effects and antiviral activities of baicalein and chlorogenic acid against infectious bursal disease virus in embryonic eggs

The purpose of this study was to investigate if baicalein and chlorogenic acid could inhibit the inflammatory responses induced by and protect against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) in chicken embryonic eggs. Nine-day-old embryonated chicken eggs were randomly divided into 3 groups of 50 eggs per group: 1) treatment with varying concentrations of baicalein, 2) treatment with varying concentrations of chlorogenic acid, or 3) left untreated as a control. Forty-eight hours after hatching, each group was inoculated with a very virulent IBDV isolate, and the survival of the embryo was monitored daily until the embryonic livers were collected 72 h after inoculation. After IBDV infection, the viral loads in the embryonic livers were evaluated using qRT-PCR, and the hepatic content of inflammatory mediators, such as histamine, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), were examined. Significant antiviral potential was demonstrated at concentrations of 108 and 215 μg/egg of baicalein and chlorogenic acid, respectively. We observed a concentration-dependent response in the antiviral properties of these chemicals. Treating the embryos with baicalein and chlorogenic acid significantly reduced histamine production. Moreover, pretreatment with baicalein and chlorogenic acid significantly inhibited NF-κB activation, and this inhibited the subsequent production of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the context of IBDV infection. These findings suggest that baicalein and chlorogenic acid have anti-IBDV properties, and they may be useful in the prevention of inflammation-related diseases.