Effect of dietary resveratrol supplementation on growth performance, immune response, serum biochemical indices, cecal microflora, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens challenged with Escherichia coli

Abstract

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of resveratrol (RSV) supplementation on growth performance, immune response, serum biochemical indices, cecal microflora, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens challenged with E. coli. A total of 600 one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 5 treatments with 6 replicates and 20 broiler chickens per replicate. The experimental treatments consisted of positive control (PC; without additive and not challenged), negative control (NC; without additive, but challenged with E. coli at d 7), and 3 additive treatments where broiler chickens were challenged with E. coli at d 7 and fed diets containing among 20 ppm colistin sulfate (CS), 300 ppm RSV (RSV300) or 600 ppm RSV (RSV600). Compared to NC treatment, dietary supplementation of CS, RSV300, and RSV600 increased body weight gain and decreased feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens challenged with E. coli (P < 0.05; d 0–42). Dietary supplementation with CS and RSV600 resulted in a similar growth performance to that of the unchallenged broiler chickens. Broiler chickens fed diets containing RSV300 and RSV600 had greater total immunoglobin and immunoglobin G at d 22 and immunoglobin M at d 35 than the challenged broiler chickens fed the control diet (P < 0.05). Compared to NC treatment, supplementing the diet with both contents of RSV decreased alanine aminotransferase activity and increased superoxide dismutase activity at d 24 and 42 (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens fed diets containing feed additives had lower numbers of cecal E. coli than broiler chickens on the PC treatment group at d 24 and 42 (P < 0.05). Feeding the CS, RSV300, and RSV600 diets increased villus length to crypt depth of the duodenum at d 24 and 42 (P < 0.05). The results of the present study demonstrated that dietary supplementation of RSV enhanced growth performance, improved intestinal morphology, and microbial balance, as well as increased immunity in broiler chickens challenged with E. coli. Therefore, RSV could be used as an efficient feed additive for promoting growth performance and controlling bacterial infections in broiler chickens.