The effects of direct-fed microbial supplementation, as an alternative to antibiotics, on growth performance, intestinal immunity, and epithelial barrier integrity in broiler chickens infected with Eimeria maxima

Authors: PARK, INKYUNG - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); LEE, YOUNGSUB - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); GOO, DOYUN - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA); Lillehoj, Hyun

Submitted to: American Association of Avian Pathologist
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary Bacillus subtilis supplementation on growth performance, intestinal integrity and cytokine, and tight junction protein of broiler chickens infected with Eimeria maxima. Fourteen-day-old broiler chickens (n=196) were randomly assigned to one of seven dietary treatments: two basal diets (CON and NC); CON+virginiamycin (AB1); CON+bacitracin methylene disalicylate (AB2); CON+B. subtilis strain 1781 (PB1); CON+B. subtilis strain 747 (PB2); CON+B. subtilis strain 1781+strain 747 (PB3). At day 7, all birds except CON were orally inoculated with E. maxima. Body weight and feed intake were measured at day 7 and 13. At day 10 and 13, jejunal tissue was collected from 6 randomly selected birds from each treatment group and jejunal lesion scores were recorded. At day 7, body weight gains of chickens fed PB2 and PB3 were increased (P=0.032) as much as AB2 group. At day 13, body weight gain and feed efficiency of PB2 group were increased (P<0.001) and had (P=0.005) the lowest lesion score among the treatment groups. Consequently, B. subtilis strain 747 supplementation improved growth performance and intestinal integrity of broiler chickens infected with Eimeria maxima.