Effect of synbiotic supplementation on production performance and severity of necrotic enteritis in broilers during an experimental necrotic enteritis challenge

Authors: SHAH, BIKAS RAJ - University Of Georgia; HAKEEM, WALID GHAZI AL - University Of Georgia; Shanmugasundaram, Revathi; SELVARAJ, RAMESH - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2023
Publication Date: 7/26/2023
Citation: Shah, B., Hakeem, W., Shanmugasundaram, R., Selvaraj, R. 2023. Effect of synbiotic supplementation on production performance and severity of necrotic enteritis in broilers during an experimental necrotic enteritis challenge. Poultry Science. 102959; 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102959.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.102959

Interpretive Summary: Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a disease affecting the poultry industry worldwide. It is caused by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, which forms spores and grows without oxygen. NE causes significant economic losses, estimated at around $6 billion each year. The removal of certain antibiotics from poultry diets has increased the risk of uncontrolled growth of harmful bacteria in the intestines, leading to poor performance, compromised well-being, and lower-quality meat. To address this issue, a study was conducted to assess the effects of synbiotic supplementation on broilers that were intentionally infected with C. perfringens. Synbiotics are a combination of good bacteria called probiotics and substances called prebiotics that help these beneficial bacteria grow in the gut. The goal of the study was to see how synbiotic supplementation influenced the broilers' performance, the health of their intestines, and their immune response. The results of the study showed that synbiotic supplementation improved the broilers' performance, reduced the severity of lesions in the middle part of their intestines, and enhanced their immune response against NE. This suggests that synbiotics could be a potential alternative to certain antibiotics in controlling NE in poultry. In conclusion, the study found that synbiotic supplementation was beneficial in improving performance by reducing intestinal lesions and boosting protective immunity against NE. The researchers suggest that combining additional probiotics and prebiotics could potentially enhance the effectiveness of synbiotics even further. This research emphasizes the potential of synbiotics as a valuable tool in combating NE and promoting the health and productivity of poultry.

Technical Abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of symbiotic during a Necrotic enteritis (NE) infection, a total of 360-day-old chicks were randomLy assigned into four experimental groups in a 2x2 factorial setup: control, challenge, synbiotic (1 g/kg), and challenge+synbiotic, with six replicates. NE was induced by gavaging 1x104 Eimeria maxima oocysts and 1x108 CFU/mL of Clostridium perfringens on day 14 (D14) and D19, 20, and 21, respectively. At D35, the NE challenge decreased the BW gain (P<0.001) and increased feed conversion ratio (P=0.03), while synbiotic supplementation decreased the feed intake (P=0.04). At D21, NE challenge increased gut permeability (P<0.001), decreased regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the cecal tonsil (CT) (P=0.02), increased Tregs in the spleen (P=0.02),decreased nitric oxide (NO) production in the spleen (P=0.04) and decreased IL-10expression in CT (P=0.02), while synbiotic supplementation increased CD4+:CD8+ T cells in the spleen (P<0.001) and decreased interferon (IFN) - ' expression in the jejunum (P=0.07), however, synbiotic supplementation during NE challenge decreased mid-gut lesion score (P<0.001), increased CD4+:CD8+ T cells in CT and decreased IgA production in bile (P<0.001), compared to the control group. At D28, synbiotic supplementation decreased CD4+:CD8+ T cells in CT (P<0.001), while synbiotic supplementation during NE challenge decreased Tregs in CT (P<0.001) and increased NO production in the spleen P=0.04), compared to the control group. At D35, the NE challenge decreased CD4+:CD8+ T cells in the spleen (P=0.03), decreased IgA production in bile (P=0.02),decreased IL-10 expression in CT (P=0.04) and decreased IL-10 (P=0.009), IFN- ' (P=0.03) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (P=0.02) expression in the jejunum, while synbiotic supplementation increased Tregs in the spleen (P=0.04), compared to control group. Synbiotic supplementation during the NE challenge decreased both IL-1ß (P=0.02) and IFN- ' (P=0.001) expression in CT, compared to the control group. It can be concluded, synbiotic supplementation increases production performance by decreasing mid-gut lesions and enhancing protective immunity against NE, and efficiency of synbiotic could be improved by blending additional probiotics and prebiotics.