Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #228844
Title: INFLUENCE OF PEDIOCOCCUS-BASED PROBIOTIC ON COCCIDIOSIS IN BROILER CHICKENS

Author
item LEE, SUNG-HYEN - POST-DOC, ARS, ANRI, APDL
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item DALLOUL, RAMI - VIS SCI ANRI,ARS
item PARK, DONG-WOON - VIS SCI ANRI,ARS
item HONG, YEONG-HO - VIS SCI ANRI,ARS

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2008
Publication Date: 9/10/2008
Citation: Lee, S., Lillehoj, H.S., Dalloul, R., Park, D., Hong, Y. 2008. Influence of pediococcus-based probiotic on coccidiosis in broiler chickens. Poultry Science. 86:63-66.

Interpretive Summary: Avian coccidiosis is the major parasitic disease of poultry causing mortality, malabsorption, inefficient feed utilization, impaired growth rate in broilers and reduced egg production in layers. The disease presents tremendous economic significance to the poultry industry with an estimated worldwide annual loss of more than $3 billion. Currently, drugs and live vaccines are the two main control measures for the disease; however, due to increasing problems with prolonged drug usage and the high cost of vaccines, alternative strategies are needed for more effective and safer control of coccidiosis in chickens. Recent studies from our laboratory showed that various dietary and microbial supplements can influence host immunity against enteric diseases prompted us to investigate the role of a commercial probiotic (MitoGrow', Imagilin Technology LLC, Frederick, MD) on coccidiosis. This probiotic consists of live Pediococcus acidilactici, which belongs to the homofermentative Gram-positive bacteria, able, and able to colonize and inhabit the digestive tract. In the present work, two trials were conducted to investigate the potential protective effects of the probiotic MitoGrow in broiler chickens experimentally infected with Eimeria acervulina (EA) or Eimeria tenella (ET). Results provided clear evidence that dietary feeding of young broilers with MitoGrow' is beneficial to enhance natural immunity of poultry. The information will help poultry industry to incorporate dietary feeding of probiotics as a means to enhance general poultry health.

Technical Abstract: Coccidiosis is the major parasitic disease of poultry and is caused by the apicomplexan parasites Eimeria. Drugs and live vaccines are the two main control measures of the disease; however, due to increasing concerns with prophylactic drug use and high cost of vaccines, alternative control methods are needed. Recent evidence that various dietary and live microbial supplements can influence host immunity against enteric diseases prompted us to investigate the role of a Pediococcus-based probiotic on coccidiosis in broiler chickens. In the present study, we examined body weight gains, oocyst shedding, and antibody responses of broilers fed the commercial probiotic MitoGrow' (MG). Day-old chicks were fed either a regular broiler diet (REG) or one of two probiotic diets supplemented with 0.1% (MG 0.1) or 0.2% (MG 0.2) of MitoGrow. Chicks were orally challenged with 5,000 or 10,000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria acervulina (EA) or with 5,000 Eimeria tenella (ET) oocysts on days 10 or 12 of age, respectively. In EA-infected birds, 0.1% MitoGrow improved (P < 0.05) weight gain as compared to the other two groups, and reduced (P < 0.05) oocyst shedding in birds infected with 5,000 EA oocysts. In ET-infected birds, Eimeria-specific antibody levels were higher (P < 0.05) in the MitoGrow-fed groups, especially in MG 0.1 birds, compared to the regular diet group though their oocyst shedding and weight gains were not clearly improved. These results demonstrate that this Pediococcus acidilactici-based probiotic effectively enhances the resistance of birds and partially protects against the negative growth effects associated with coccidiosis, particularly when supplemented at 0.1% of the diet.