Abstract
The present study was carried out to evaluate the protective effects of xylanase on the intestinal mucosal barrier in broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens in a 21-day experiment. A total of 336 1-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to four treatment groups. A 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used in a randomized complete block design to study the effects of enzyme addition (with or without xylanase 5500 U/kg wheat-based diet), pathogen challenge (with or without C. perfringens challenge), and their interactions. Most C. perfringens-challenged birds had a congested mucosa and focal haemorrhagic lesions in the jejunum. Xylanase addition tended to reduce (P=0.09) the intestinal lesion score in the challenged birds. C. perfringens challenge resulted in decreased villus height/crypt depth ratio in the jejunum and ileum (P<0.05). Xylanase supplementation significantly increased this ratio in the jejunum (P<0.05) and also had the tendency to decrease crypt depth (P=0.065) and increase this ratio in the ileum (P=0.087). Xylanase addition significantly decreased the plasma endotoxin levels of the birds challenged with C. perfringens (P<0.05). Occludin mRNA expression in the jejunum and ileum was significantly decreased by C. perfringens challenge (P<0.05), but xylanase addition significantly increased its expression in the ileum. Xylanase supplementation also significantly increased MUC2 mRNA expression in the ileum (P<0.05). C. perfringens challenge resulted in a significant increase in apoptotic index in all three intestinal segments (P<0.05), but xylanase supplementation obviously decreased apoptotic index in the ileum (P<0.05). In conclusion, xylanase supplementation could alleviate the impairment of intestinal mucosal barrier induced by C. perfringens challenge.
Published Version
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