Plant Gums as Vaccine Delivery Agents for Major Poultry and Small Ruminant Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Plant gums have found applications in various industries, including food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. They offer unique properties and act as adjuvants, and when employed as a mucoadhesive vaccine delivery system, have immense potential of enhancing the immune response to animal diseases. Novel studies have in recent times, shown growing interest in their use as vaccine delivery agents for poultry and small ruminant diseases and these studies have empirically demonstrated that combining certain plant gums with vaccines for mucosal immunization results in earlier and sustained immune response. Incorporation of vaccine antigens into plant gum formulations protects the vaccine antigen from enzymatic degradation on mucosal surfaces and allows for prolonged vaccine residence at the administration site, leading to improved antigen uptake by the antigen presenting cells, resulting in enhanced host mucosal and systemic immune responses. However, challenges such as standardized extraction methods and gum composition variability need to be addressed. Overall, plant gums have significant potential as vaccine delivery agents and may contribute to the development of effective and affordable vaccines for mucosal immunization against major poultry and small ruminant viral diseases.