Abstract
ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of a probiotic (Bacillus subtilis DSM 17299), blend of acidifiers, and their combination on the performance of broiler chicks. Two hundred and twenty unsexed one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were randomly distributed into four groups (55 birds per group divided into 5 replicates) as 2X2 factorial arrangement including two factors, probiotic and blend of acidifiers, each of which had two levels: yes and no. Performance was determined weekly. Haemagglutination test was performed on blood samples taken on days 28 and 42 after the birds were injected twice (days 14 and 28) with 10% suspension of sheep red blood cells (SRBC). On day 42, tissue samples taken from the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were prepared for histology via scanning electron microscopy. During the first three weeks, dietary addition of probiotic significantly (p<0.05) increased body weight gain (BWG) while acidifiers significantly lowered (p<0.01) feed conversion ratio (FCR). Antibody titer against SRBC increased remarkably (p<0.01) 15 days post the first injection when probiotic was administered. The probiotic also increased (p<0.01) the number of the duodenal goblet cells, and the density of jejunal and ileal villi. Overall, the supplementation of probiotic or acidifiers enhanced the growth performance of broiler chicks, mainly during the first three weeks of age. The probiotic also improved the immune response and intestinal morphology of broilers. However, there was no evidence of synergy when probiotic and acidifiers were co-administered.
Highlights
Probiotics and acidifiers, among others, have been considered as alternatives to antibiotic growth promotors (Mountzouris et al, 2010; Zhang & Kim, 2014)
This study investigated the effect of a probiotic (Bacillus subtilis DSM 17299), blend of acidifiers, and their combination on the performance of broiler chicks
On day 28, the dietary supplementation with the probiotic increased the antibody titer against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) (p
Summary
Probiotics and acidifiers, among others, have been considered as alternatives to antibiotic growth promotors (Mountzouris et al, 2010; Zhang & Kim, 2014). The effect of dietary addition of either probiotics or acidifiers on broilers was investigated by many researchers (Pelicano et al, 2005; Samli et al, 2007; Awad et al, 2009; RodríguezLecompte et al, 2012; Khan & Iqbal, 2016; Sikandar et al, 2017). The spores can germinate in the gastrointestinal tract of chicks, the environment in which it becomes metabolically active (Cartman et al, 2008). These probiotic strains produce antibacterial compounds that can reduce the prevalence of harmful or undesirable bacteria while simultaneously creating an environment in the gastrointestinal tract in which beneficial bacteria can proliferate (Taklimi, 2012; Khan & Naz, 2013). The dietary addition of probiotics displayed a crucial role in regulating the intestinal environment, resulting in improved broiler health and performance (Abudabos et al, 2013; Manafi et al, 2018)
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