Abstract:
The bovine virus diarrhea virus (BVDV) causes reproductive, enteric, and respiratory dis-
eases. Vaccination is essential in increasing herd resistance to BVDV spread. The selection
of an adjuvant is an important factor in the success of the vaccination process. Monolaurin
or glycerol monolaurate is a safe compound with an immunomodulatory effect. This study
aimed to evaluate the efficacy of monolaurin as a novel adjuvant. This was examined
through the preparation of an inactivated BVDV (NADL strain) vaccine adjuvanted with dif-
ferent concentrations of monolaurin and compared with the registered available locally pre-
pared polyvalent vaccine (Pneumo-4) containing BVD (NADL strain), BoHV-1 (Abou
Hammad strain), BPI3 (strain 45), and BRSV (strain 375L), and adjuvanted with aluminum
hydroxide gel. The inactivated BVDV vaccine was prepared using three concentrations,
0.5%, 1%, and 2%, from monolaurin as adjuvants. A potency test was performed on five
groups of animals. The first group, which did not receive vaccination, served as a control
group while three other groups were vaccinated using the prepared vaccines. The fifth
group received the Pneumo-4 vaccine. Vaccination response was monitored by measuring
viral neutralizing antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was
found that the BVD inactivated vaccine with 1% and 2% monolaurin elicited higher neutraliz-
ing antibodies that have longer-lasting effects (nine months) with no reaction at the injection
site in comparison to the commercial vaccine adjuvanted by aluminum hydroxide gel.
