Amir Hossein Alizadeh-Ghamsari *1, Hosna Hajati1, Seyed Adel Moftakharzadeh1, Mohammad Ali Behroozilak1, Hamid Teimouri2, Farhad Foroudi3, Mehdi Mojibi Meikolaei3
1- Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition and Physiology, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
2- Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3- KOUROSH Livestock and Poultry
2- Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
3- KOUROSH Livestock and Poultry
Abstract: (56 Views)
Introduction and Objectives: In recent decades, the global poultry industry has faced multiple challenges, particularly the increasing legal restrictions and public concerns regarding the use of antibiotic growth promoters. These restrictions are mainly due to the risk of microbial resistance and the threat to public health, which has highlighted the necessity of seeking safe and appropriate alternatives. Among these, prebiotics, as indigestible compounds that provide a suitable substrate for the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, have attracted considerable attention. Research evidence has shown that the consumption of these compounds can, through increasing beneficial microbial populations, producing short-chain fatty acids, stimulating the immune system, and improving intestinal morphological characteristics, enhance the overall performance of poultry. However, the results of studies in this field have not always been consistent and conclusive. Such inconsistency of findings suggests that the impact of prebiotics depends on type, dosage, and rearing conditions. Since new combined products may exhibit different effects compared to individual prebiotics, their evaluation is of particular importance. Accordingly, a prebiotic supplement produced based on the combination of inulin and yeast cell wall, may provide a practical response to the poultry industry’s need for non-antibiotic growth promoters. Therefore, this study was designed and conducted with the aim of evaluating the effects of combined prebiotic on productive traits, microbial populations, and intestinal morphological characteristics of broiler chickens.
Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted using 750 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks (mixed sex in equal ratio) in a completely randomized design with five treatments, five replicates, and 30 chicks per replicate (pen). The experimental groups included: 1) basal diet without prebiotic (control), 2-4) basal diets containing the prebiotic Prolin (based on inulin and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall) at levels of 500, 750, and 1000 g/ton, respectively, and 5) basal diet containing antibiotic (zinc bacitracin) at 1000 g/ton of feed, which were provided from day 1 to 42. At the end of each rearing period (days 10, 24, and 42), group weighing and feed intake measurement for each replicate were performed, and daily mortalities were recorded and weighed to calculate feed conversion ratio, liveability rate, production index and feed cost per kilogram of live weight. At day 42, blood samples were collected from two birds in each experimental unit, and antibody titers against Newcastle and avian influenza disease vaccines were determined using the hemagglutination inhibition test. Moreover, blood was collected from one other bird in each replicate with a heparinized syringe to perform differential white blood cell counts, and the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was calculated. At the same age, two birds with body weights close to the group average were slaughtered, their ileal content were collected, and microbial populations including Lactobacillus spp., coliforms, and Gram-negative bacteria were enumerated using selective media. Also, tissue samples of the mid-jejunum tissue were isolated and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and the morphological characteristics including villus length and width, crypt depth, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and villus surface area were measured. All data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS software (version 9.4), and mean comparisons were performed by Duncan’s test at the 5% significance level. Additionally, to determine linear or quadratic relationships between levels of prebiotic intake, the data were subjected to orthogonal analysis, and significance was reported at the 5% level.
Results: The findings showed that at day 10, addition of 750 g of prebiotic per ton of feed significantly improved body weight and feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens compared with the other experimental groups (P<0.05). At day 24, the lowest feed conversion ratio belonged to the group receiving 500 g of prebiotic per ton of feed, and its difference with the control and the 750 g prebiotic group was significant (P<0.05). At day 42, supplementation of 500 g of prebiotic per ton of feed significantly improved body weight, feed conversion ratio, and production index compared with the control (P<0.05). Liveability rate in the groups receiving 1000 g of prebiotic and the antibiotic per ton of feed was higher than in the other experimental groups (P<0.05). The lowest feed cost was observed in the groups receiving 500 g of prebiotic and the antibiotic, and the difference of the former group with other treatments, except the antibiotic, was significant (P<0.05). The use of different levels of prebiotic in the diet had no significant effect on feed intake (during different rearing periods), antibody titers against Newcastle and avian influenza disease vaccines, or differential white blood counts (P>0.05). The highest villus surface area of the jejunum among prebiotic groups was observed in birds receiving 750 g of prebiotic per ton of feed (P<0.05). Supplementation with different levels of prebiotic linearly and quadratically increased the population of Lactobacillus spp. in the ileal contents (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Overall, prebiotic supplementation improved productive traits, intestinal morphology, and gut microbial balance, supporting its role as a suitable alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Considering the reduction in feed cost per kg live weight (more than 5.5% compared with the control), dietary supplementation of this product at level of 500 g is recommended.
Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted using 750 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks (mixed sex in equal ratio) in a completely randomized design with five treatments, five replicates, and 30 chicks per replicate (pen). The experimental groups included: 1) basal diet without prebiotic (control), 2-4) basal diets containing the prebiotic Prolin (based on inulin and Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall) at levels of 500, 750, and 1000 g/ton, respectively, and 5) basal diet containing antibiotic (zinc bacitracin) at 1000 g/ton of feed, which were provided from day 1 to 42. At the end of each rearing period (days 10, 24, and 42), group weighing and feed intake measurement for each replicate were performed, and daily mortalities were recorded and weighed to calculate feed conversion ratio, liveability rate, production index and feed cost per kilogram of live weight. At day 42, blood samples were collected from two birds in each experimental unit, and antibody titers against Newcastle and avian influenza disease vaccines were determined using the hemagglutination inhibition test. Moreover, blood was collected from one other bird in each replicate with a heparinized syringe to perform differential white blood cell counts, and the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was calculated. At the same age, two birds with body weights close to the group average were slaughtered, their ileal content were collected, and microbial populations including Lactobacillus spp., coliforms, and Gram-negative bacteria were enumerated using selective media. Also, tissue samples of the mid-jejunum tissue were isolated and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and the morphological characteristics including villus length and width, crypt depth, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and villus surface area were measured. All data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS software (version 9.4), and mean comparisons were performed by Duncan’s test at the 5% significance level. Additionally, to determine linear or quadratic relationships between levels of prebiotic intake, the data were subjected to orthogonal analysis, and significance was reported at the 5% level.
Results: The findings showed that at day 10, addition of 750 g of prebiotic per ton of feed significantly improved body weight and feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens compared with the other experimental groups (P<0.05). At day 24, the lowest feed conversion ratio belonged to the group receiving 500 g of prebiotic per ton of feed, and its difference with the control and the 750 g prebiotic group was significant (P<0.05). At day 42, supplementation of 500 g of prebiotic per ton of feed significantly improved body weight, feed conversion ratio, and production index compared with the control (P<0.05). Liveability rate in the groups receiving 1000 g of prebiotic and the antibiotic per ton of feed was higher than in the other experimental groups (P<0.05). The lowest feed cost was observed in the groups receiving 500 g of prebiotic and the antibiotic, and the difference of the former group with other treatments, except the antibiotic, was significant (P<0.05). The use of different levels of prebiotic in the diet had no significant effect on feed intake (during different rearing periods), antibody titers against Newcastle and avian influenza disease vaccines, or differential white blood counts (P>0.05). The highest villus surface area of the jejunum among prebiotic groups was observed in birds receiving 750 g of prebiotic per ton of feed (P<0.05). Supplementation with different levels of prebiotic linearly and quadratically increased the population of Lactobacillus spp. in the ileal contents (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Overall, prebiotic supplementation improved productive traits, intestinal morphology, and gut microbial balance, supporting its role as a suitable alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Considering the reduction in feed cost per kg live weight (more than 5.5% compared with the control), dietary supplementation of this product at level of 500 g is recommended.
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