Dietary supplementation with a probiotic fermented four-herb combination enhances immune activity in broiler chicks and increases survivability against Salmonella Gallinarum in experimentally infected broiler chicks

Synergetic response on herbal and probiotic applications: a review

Herbs and their by-products are important traditional medicines and food supplements; they provide numerous beneficial effects for animals. Consequently, probiotics are living cell organisms, nontoxic, and friendly microbes. Probiotics have numerous beneficial activities such as inhibition of pathogens, enhancement of the immune system, growth, disease resistance, improving water quality, reducing toxic effects, synthesis of vitamins, prevention of cancer, reduction of irritable bowel syndrome, and more positive responses in animals. Herbal and probiotic combinations have more active responses and produce new substances to enhance beneficial responses in animals. Herbal and probiotic mixture report is still limited applications for animals. However, the mechanisms by which they interact with the immune system and gut microbiota in animals are largely unclear. This review provides some information on the effect of herbal and probiotic blend on animals. This review discusses current research advancements to fulfill research gaps and promote effective and healthy animal production.

Avian Cell Culture Models to Study Immunomodulatory Properties of Bioactive Products

Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a greater danger to both human and animal health, reducing the capacity to treat bacterial infections and increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality from resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial efficacy in the treatment of bacterial infections is still a major concern in both veterinary and human medicine. Antimicrobials can be replaced with bioactive products. Only a small number of plant species have been studied in respect to their bioactive compounds. More research is needed to characterize and evaluate the therapeutic properties of the plant extracts. Due to the more and more common phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance, poultry farming requires the use of natural alternatives to veterinary antibiotics that have an immunomodulatory effect. These include a variety of bioactive products, such as plant extracts, essential oils, probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics. This article presents several studies on bioactive products and their immunomodulatory effects tested in vitro and ex vivo using various avian cell culture models. Primary cell cultures that have been established to study the immune response in chickens include peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), intestinal epithelial cells (IEC), and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Chicken lymphatic lines that can be used to study immune responses are mainly: chicken B cells infected with avian leukemia RAV-1 virus (DT40), macrophage-like cell line (HD11), and a spleen-derived macrophage cell line (MQ-NCSU). Ex vivo organ cultures combine in vitro and in vivo studies, as this model is based on fragments of organs or tissues grown in vitro. As such, it mimics the natural reactions of organisms, but under controlled conditions. Most ex vivo organ cultures of chickens are derived from the ileum and are used to model the interaction between the gastrointestinal tract and the microbiota. In conclusion, the use of in vitro and ex vivo models allows for numerous experimental replications in a short period, with little or no ethical constraints and limited confounding factors.

Role of Different Growth Enhancers as Alternative to In-feed Antibiotics in Poultry Industry

The poultry industry has grown so fast alongside the irrational use of antibiotics to maximize profit and make the production cost-effective during the last few decades. The rising and indiscriminate use of antibiotics might result in the deposition of residues in poultry food products and in the development of resistance to these drugs by microorganisms. Therefore, many diseases are becoming difficult to treat both in humans and animals. In addition, the use of low-dose antibiotics as growth enhancer results in antibiotic residues in food products, which have detrimental effects on human health. On the other hand, many studies have shown that antibiotics administered to poultry and livestock are poorly absorbed through the gut and usually excreted without metabolism. These excreted antibiotics eventually accumulate in the environment and enter the human food chain, resulting in the bioaccumulation of drug residues in the human body. In this regard, to find out alternatives is of paramount importance for the production of safe meat and egg. Therefore, in recent years, much research attention was disarticulated toward the exploration for alternatives to antibiotic as in-feed growth enhancers after its ban by the EU. As a result, probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, spirulina, symbiotic, and their combination are being used more frequently in poultry production. Feed additives therefore gained popularity in poultry production by having many advantages but without any residues in poultry products. In addition, numerous studies demonstrating that such biological supplements compete with antimicrobial resistance have been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this review article was to highlight the advantages of using biological products instead of antibiotics as poultry in-feed growth enhancers to enhance the production performance, reduce intestinal pathogenic bacteria, and maintain gut health, potentiating the immune response, safety, and wholesomeness of meat and eggs as evidence of consumer protection, as well as to improve the safety of poultry products for human consumption.

Effects of a probiotic-fermented herbal blend on the growth performance, intestinal flora and immune function of chicks infected with Salmonella pullorum

Salmonella pullorum is a highly pathogenic bacteria in poultry industry. However, antibiotics were restricted in many countries because of the increasing risk of antibiotic resistance, Therefore, an environmental friendly and effective alternative strives to be developed. This study investigated the benefit of a probiotic-fermented herbal blend on the growth performance and gut microbiota of newborn broilers infected with S. pullorum. A total of 120 one-day-old dwarf male chicks were randomly allotted to 4 treatment groups, each including 5 replicates of 6 chicks: negative control (NC), positive control (PC), herbal blend (HB), and probiotic-fermented herbal blend (PF). All birds (n = 90), except for those in the NC, were infected with S. pullorum (1.69 × 108 CFU) on day 1. On day 11, body weight (BW), mortality, tissue pathology, cecal colony counts, immune organ indices, cecal mucosa secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) concentrations, and cecal cytokine mRNA expression levels were investigated. No mortality was observed after the PF treatment, and less pathological condition was in the ileum, cecum, and liver of HB and PF. BW, average daily gain and average daily feed intake were significant higher in the HB group compared to the PC and were the highest in the PF (P < 0.05). HB treatment significantly increased cecal populations of Lactobacilli, and decreased cecal populations of Escherichia coli and Salmonella, but results were more pronounced in the PF group (P < 0.05). Both HB and PF treatments increased cecal mucosa sIgA compared with the PC (P < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interferon gamma were lowest (P < 0.05) and interleukin 4 was the highest (P < 0.05) in PF, which exhibited similar levels to the NC group. PF treatment significantly improved the development of the thymus and bursa in S. pullorum-infected chicks. In conclusion, PF treatment prevented death, improved growth performance, regulated intestinal flora and enhanced immune ability of in S. pullorum-infected with chicks.

Comprehensive Review of Phytochemical Constituents, Pharmacological Properties, and Clinical Applications of Prunus mume

Prunus mume is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs and health foods commonly used in Asian countries. It is widely used as a constituent of many medicinal preparations and as a food ingredient for its beneficial health effects. In this review, we retrieved reports from PubMed, embase, Scopus, and SciFinder databases, to collect extensive scientific evidence on the phytochemical constituents, pharmacological properties, and clinical applications of Prunus mume. The literature review revealed that approximately 192 compounds have been isolated from different parts of the plant, and their molecular structures have been identified. The pharmacological properties of the plant, including anti-diabetic, liver-protective, antitumor, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as their underlying mechanisms, have been clarified by in vitro and in vivo studies. Clinical studies, although very limited, have been highlighted in this review to provide a reference for further exploration on therapeutic applications of the plant.

Effects of Multi-Strain Probiotics Combined with Gardeniae fructus on Intestinal Microbiota, Metabolites, and Morphology in Broilers

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a multi-strain probiotic combined with Gardeniae fructus on the growth performance, intestinal microbiota composition and metabolites, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. The dietary treatments included the basal diet without any antimicrobials (C), the basal diet supplemented with 10 ppm avilamycin (A), the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% multi-strain probiotics powder containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LAP5, L. fermentum P2, L. casei L21, and Pediococcus acidophilus LS (1×107 CFU/g) (P), and the basal diet supplemented with a mixture of 0.1% multi-strain probiotics and 0.05% herbal medicine G. fructus (PH). The results showed no significant differences in growth performance across all groups. A denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the groups PH, P, and A exhibited an increase in the similarity coefficients of their intestinal microbial populations. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the relative concentrations of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus in the cecum and Bifidobacterium spp. in the ileum were higher in the groups PH, P, and A than in group C, and the diet supplemented with multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus decreased the concentrations of cecal Escherichia spp. and Clostridium perfringens. The broilers fed with multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in the cecal short-chain fatty acids (total SCFA, acetic acid, and butyric acid) compared to the other groups. The treatment with antibiotics, multi-strain probiotics, or multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus increased the villus height/crypt depth ratio in the ileum of broilers. In conclusion, the supplementation of multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus was beneficial to the intestinal microflora composition, metabolites, and morphology in broilers.

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae enhances immune activities and increases survivability of broiler chicks against experimental infection of Salmonella Gallinarum

Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) are rich in protein and have the potential to be used in animal feed. The aim of the present study was to determine the immunoprophylactic effect of BSFL against Salmonella Gallinarum in broiler chicks as an alternative feed additive. Results showed that BSFL improved body weight gain and increased frequency of CD4+ T lymphocyte, serum lysozyme activity, and spleen lymphocyte proliferation. Moreover, BSFL reinforced bacterial clearance and increased survivability of broiler chicks against S. Gallinarum. These data suggested that BSFL has prophylactic properties with stimulating non-specific immune responses, as well as reduced bacterial burden against S. Gallinarum.

Guanosine 5'-monophosphate-chelated calcium and iron feed additives maintains egg production and prevents Salmonella Gallinarum in experimentally infected layers

We evaluated the effects of guanosine 5'-monophosphate (GMP)-chelated calcium and iron (CaFe-GMP) on health and egg quality in layers experimentally infected with Salmonella Gallinarum. In this study, a CaFe-GMP feed additive was added to a commercial layer feed and fed to layers over a four-week period. All were inoculated with Salmonella Gallinarum. Body weight, mortality, clinical symptoms, and poultry production including feed intake, egg production, egg loss, and feed conversion rate were observed, and Salmonella Gallinarum was re-isolated from the liver, spleen, and cecum of the layers. All tested internal organs for the CaFe-GMP additive group exhibited significantly lower re-isolation numbers of Salmonella Gallinarum and less severe pathological changes than those in the control group, indicating that the CaFe-GMP feed supplement induced bacterial clearance and increased resistance to Salmonella Gallinarum. Additionally, due to the inhibitory action of CaFe-GMP on the growth of Salmonella Gallinarum, the CaFe-GMP additive group exhibited better egg production, including a higher laying rate and fewer broken eggs. The results suggest that a 0.16% CaFe-GMP additive may help prevent salmonellosis in the poultry industry.

Curcuma and Scutellaria plant extracts protect chickens against inflammation and Salmonella Enteritidis infection

After a ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in farm animals in the European Union in 2006, an interest in alternative products with antibacterial or anti-inflammatory properties has increased. In this study, we therefore tested the effects of extracts from Curcuma longa and Scutellaria baicalensis used as feed additives against cecal inflammation induced by heat stress or Salmonella Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) infection in chickens. Curcuma extract alone was not enough to decrease gut inflammation induced by heat stress. However, a mixture of Curcuma and Scutellaria extracts used as feed additives decreased gut inflammation induced by heat or S. Enteritidis, decreased S. Enteritidis counts in the cecum but was of no negative effect on BW or humoral immune response. Using next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA we found out that supplementation of feed with the 2 plant extracts had no effect on microbiota diversity. However, if the plant extract supplementation was provided to the chickens infected with S. Enteritidis, Faecalibacterium, and Lactobacillus, both bacterial genera with known positive effects on gut health were positively selected. The supplementation of chicken feed with extracts from Curcuma and Scutelleria thus may be used in poultry production to effectively decrease gut inflammation and increase chicken performance.

Anti-inflammatory functions of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. and its compounds: A perspective on its potential role in rheumatoid arthritis

The aim of this review was to take a look at the anti-inflammatory functions of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HCT) that have been illustrated in the literature and to explore new fields in which HCT could be used in the future. The use of HCT has been described in broad inflammatory domains, where it has exhibited a variety of activities, including antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic and immunostimulant activity, with high efficiency, mild features and definite therapeutic effects. The numerous anti-inflammatory functions of HCT have demonstrated that HCT has wide application prospects. New uses of HCT and the full extent of its utilization await further investigation. The basic pathological change of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is synovial proliferation which leads to joint destruction in the long-term. There are types of drugs that have been used clinically for patients with RA, however, due to their side-effects or high prices their broad usage is limited. A safe and low-cost drug is urgently required to be developed for the clinical usage of patients with RA. Thus, HCT has the potential to be a good candidate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Review: Chinese herbs as alternatives to antibiotics in feed for swine and poultry production: Potential and challenges in application

Gong, J., Yin, F., Hou, Y. and Yin, Y. 2014. Chinese herbs as alternatives to antibiotics in feed for swine and poultry production: Potential and challenges in application. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 223–241. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of clinical practice, and its own theoretical framework focused on functions at the whole-body level. However, due to cultural differences, TCM has not been fully recognized in Western countries. With the recent development of the theory of whole-body systems biology and “-omics”, there is a new opportunity to study TCM and to close the gap between TCM and Western medicine, because of the similarity in the theoretical foundations between TCM and whole-body systems biology. The uniqueness of TCM theory and practice is the approach to maintain and restore the body balance as a whole with no or little unfavourable side effects. Recent studies have also shown that Chinese herbs used as feed additives can modulate nutritional metabolism, immune responses, and intestinal health of food-producing animals, demonstrating good potential as substitutes for dietary antibiotics. Nonetheless, some issues need to be addressed before Chinese herbs can reach their full application. This article has critically reviewed recent progresses in scientific research of Chinese herbs as feed additives and their potential to replace dietary antibiotics. Possible challenges in future application for swine and poultry production are also discussed.

Microbiota of the chicken gastrointestinal tract: influence on health, productivity and disease

Recent advances in the technology available for culture-independent methods for identification and enumeration of environmental bacteria have invigorated interest in the study of the role of chicken intestinal microbiota in health and productivity. Chickens harbour unique and diverse bacterial communities that include human and animal pathogens. Increasing public concern about the use of antibiotics in the poultry industry has influenced the ways in which poultry producers are working towards improving birds' intestinal health. Effective means of antibiotic-independent pathogen control through competitive exclusion and promotion of good protective microbiota are being actively investigated. With the realisation that just about any change in environment influences the highly responsive microbial communities and with the abandonment of the notion that we can isolate and investigate a single species of interest outside of the community, came a flood of studies that have attempted to profile the intestinal microbiota of chickens under numerous conditions. This review aims to address the main issues in investigating chicken microbiota and to summarise the data acquired to date.

Tyrosinase inhibitory effect and antioxidative activities of fermented and ethanol extracts of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica

This is the first study to investigate the biological activities of fermented extracts of Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) and Lonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae). Alcaligenes piechaudii CC-ESB2 fermented and ethanol extracts of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica were prepared and the antioxidative activities of different concentrations of samples were evaluated using in vitro antioxidative assays. Tyrosinase inhibition was determined by using the dopachrome method with L-DOPA as substrate. The results demonstrated that inhibitory effects (ED₅₀ values) on mushroom tyrosinase of fermented Rhodiola rosea, fermented Lonicera japonica, ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica, and ethanol extract of Rhodiola rosea were 0.78, 4.07, 6.93, and >10 mg/ml, respectively. The DPPH scavenging effects of fermented Rhodiola rosea (ED₅₀ = 0.073 mg/ml) and fermented Lonicera japonica (ED₅₀ = 0.207 mg/ml) were stronger than effects of their respective ethanol extracts. Furthermore, the scavenging effect increases with the presence of high content of total phenol. However, the superoxide scavenging effects of fermented Rhodiola rosea was less than effects of fermented Lonicera japonica. The results indicated that fermentation of Rhodiola rosea and Lonicera japonica can be considered as an effective biochemical process for application in food, drug, and cosmetics.

Dietary effect of Rubus coreanus ethanolic extract on immune gene expression in white leg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of a Rubus coreanus ethanolic extract on immunostimulatory response in white leg shrimp Penaeus vannamei. Shrimps with an average initial weight of 0.5 ± 0.04 g were collected and acclimatized for 10 days. Four experimental diets including a control diet, a probiotic diet and 0.25 and 0.5% of R. coreanus ethanolic extract (RcEE) diets were used to feed the shrimps. After 8 weeks of culture, shrimp fed with probiotic and 0.25% RcEE diet had showed significant enhancement in the growth while shrimp fed with 0.5% RcEE diet showed significantly increased expression of immune genes and antioxidant enzymes activities. One week of challenge experiments for all the four diets fed shrimps showed decreased cumulative mortality in the 0.5% RcEE diets fed shrimps, when compared with the probiotic and 0.25% RcEE diet fed shrimp groups. The results indicates that R. coreanus ethanolic extract could be used as a herbal immunostimulant for shrimps to increase its immunity and disease resistance against the bacterial pathogen, Vibrio alginolyticus.

Antiviral effect of dietary germanium biotite supplementation in pigs experimentally infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Germanium biotite (GB) is an aluminosilicate mineral containing 36 ppm germanium. The present study was conducted to better understand the effects of GB on immune responses in a mouse model, and to demonstrate the clearance effects of this mineral against Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in experimentally infected pigs as an initial step towards the development of a feed supplement that would promote immune activity and help prevent diseases. In the mouse model, dietary supplementation with GB enhanced concanavalin A (ConA)-induced lymphocyte proliferation and increased the percentage of CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes. In pigs experimentally infected with PRRSV, viral titers in lungs and lymphoid tissues from the GB-fed group were significantly decreased compared to those of the control group 12 days post-infection. Corresponding histopathological analyses demonstrated that GB-fed pigs displayed less severe pathological changes associated with PRRSV infection compared to the control group, indicating that GB promotes PRRSV clearance. These antiviral effects in pigs may be related to the ability of GB to increase CD3+CD8+ T lymphocyte production observed in the mice. Hence, this mineral may be an effective feed supplement for increasing immune activity and preventing disease.

Immunoprophylactic effects of administering honeybee (Apis melifera) venom spray against Salmonella gallinarum in broiler chicks

Antibiotics continue to be used as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Honeybee (Apis melifera) venom (HBV) possesses a number of beneficial biological activities, particularly for regulating the immune system. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunoprophylactic effects of HBV against Salmonella Gallinarum in broiler chicks as an initial step towards developing eco-friendly alternatives to reduce antibiotic use. HBV was administered using a spray technique. HBV improved body weight gain, particularly in the presence of infection. Moreover, HBV enhanced antibody production activity against formalin-killed S. Gallinarum. The CD4⁺:CD8⁺ T lymphocyte ratio, relative mRNA expression levels of interleukin-18 and interferon-γ, and serum lysozyme activity also increased following HBV administration before the infection period as well as during infection. HBV reinforced bacterial clearance and increased survivability against S. Gallinarum. Corresponding pathological analyses demonstrated that the HBV-sprayed group displayed mild and less severe abnormal changes compared with those in the control group. It was presumed that the prophylactic effects of HBV against S. Gallinarum were associated with its non-specific immune response stimulating activity. Thus, HBV may provide an alternative to reduce antibiotic use in the poultry industry.

Immunoprophylactic effects of shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) against Bordetella bronchiseptica in mice

Antimicrobials are used as feed additives to improve growth performance and to prevent subclinical disease challenge in industrial animals. However, these drugs can lead to the development of resistant strains of bacteria. Shiitake mushrooms (SM) (Lentinula edodes) have long been popular as a health food in East Asia. Moreover, SM-derived polysaccharides are well-known as immunostimulants that possess antimicrobial properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunoprophylactic effects of SM against Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in mice as an initial step towards the development of eco-friendly feed additives to reduce the use of antimicrobials. Although SM had no effect on body weight gain under the un-infected conditions, SM alleviated progressive weight loss and helped in the recovery of body weight in B. bronchiseptica infected mice. Dietary supplementation with SM reinforced bacterial clearance in the infected mice. Of note, SM markedly increased the percentage of various T lymphocytes and the relative mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ in the bronchial lymph node early in the infection. Taken together, these findings suggest that SM could help in the improvement of body weight gain during B. bronchiseptica infection and may enhance the protective immune activity against a subclinical disease challenge, such as B. bronchiseptica infection in mice, probably by a strong stimulation of non-specific immune responses. Hence, SM may provide an alternative to reduce use of antimicrobials. Confirmation of the beneficial effects of SM as a feed additive is now required in industrial animals.

Oxygenated drinking water enhances immune activity in broiler chicks and increases survivability against Salmonella Gallinarum in experimentally infected broiler chicks

It has been suggested that drinking oxygenated water may improve oxygen availability, which may increase vitality and improving immune activity. The present study evaluated the immune enhancing effects of oxygenated drinking water in broiler chicks and demonstrated the protective efficacy of oxygenated drinking water against Salmonella Gallinarum in experimentally infected broiler chicks. Continuous drinking of oxygenated water markedly increased serum lysozyme activity, peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation and the CD4(+)/CD8(+) splenocyte ratio in broiler chicks. In the chicks experimentally infected with S. Gallinarum, oxygenated drinking water alleviated symptoms and increased survival. These findings suggest that oxygenated drinking water enhances immune activity in broiler chicks, and increases survivability against S. Gallinarum in experimentally infected broiler chicks.