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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #207515
Title: Effects of Pediococcus and Saccharomyces-based Probiotic (MitoMax) on Coccidiosis in Broiler Chickens

Author
item LEE, SUNGHYEN - BA VST SY
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item PARK, DONG - BA VST SY
item LIN, J - IMAGILIN TECHNOLOGY

Submitted to: Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2007
Publication Date: 4/5/2007
Citation: Lee, S., Lillehoj, H.S., Park, D.W., Hong, Y.H., Lin, J.J. 2007. Effects of Pediococcus and Saccharomyces-based Probiotic (MitoMax) on Coccidiosis in Broiler Chickens. Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 30:261-268.

Interpretive Summary: Avian coccidiosis is one of the most economically important diseases of the poultry industry. On the basis of recent evidence that various dietary and microbial supplements can influence host immunity against various diseases, ARS scientists, in collboration with scientists from Imagilin Technology company tested the effect of applyng a new probiotic (MitoMax) on coccidiosis. This probiotic consists of live Pediococcus acidilactici and Saccharomyces boulardii. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the probiotic MitoMax as a natural alternative to chemotherapeutic drugs for the prevention of coccidiosis. The results indictaed that probiotics can enhance immune response against coccidiosis and chickens fed the probiotic-supplemented diet showed greately reduced oocyst shedding Thus probiotics carry much promise for the use of this feed additive to boost the resistance of birds coccidiosis. Although more research is needed to better characterize the mode of actions of such agents, this report provides important basic information concerning the use of probiotics as an alternative control method in poultry.

Technical Abstract: Coccidiosis is the major parasitic disease of poultry. Increasing concerns with prophylactic drug use prompted us to look for a new way to control this disease. We investigated the role of the commercial probiotic MitoMax, containing Pediococcus acidilactici and Saccharomyces boulardii, as alternative control method against coccidiosis using weight gain, oocyst shedding, and antibody responses. Day-old broiler chicks were fed regular or probiotic diets supplemented with MitoMax at 0.01%, 0.1%, or 1.0% of diet, and challenged two weeks later with 5,000 oocysts of either Eimeria acervulina (EA) or Eimeria tenella (ET). The birds fed 0.1% of MitoMax-supplemented diet and infected with EA exhibited higher (P < 0.001) serum Eimeria-specific antibodies than other groups though their oocyst shedding and weight gains were not clearly improved. These results demonstrate that MitoMax may enhance the resistance of birds against coccidiosis by enhancing humoral immunity when included at 0.1% of the broiler diet.