Liver Function and Bacteriology of Organs in Broiler Inoculated with Nalidixic Acid-ResistantSalmonellaTyphimurium and Treated with Organic Acids

Effects of bacteriophage on Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broilers

Bacteriophages (BP) are viruses that can infect bacteria. The present study evaluated the effect of BP on Salmonella infected broilers. A number of 150 day-old broilers were used in a completely randomized design with five treatments that included: (1) basal diet from day 0 to 28; (2) basal diet + 0.3 g/kg of colistin from day 0 to 28; (3) basal diet from day 1 to 13, and basal diet + 0.4 g/kg of colistin from day 14 to 28; (4) basal diet + 1 g/kg of BP from day 0 to 28; (5) basal diet + 1.5 g/kg of BP from day 0 to 28. On day 13, 15 chickens from each treatment were challenged by Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), while fifteen from each treatment were not; instead, they were kept in the same cage with the challenged chickens (exposed chickens). At 7 and 14 days post-challenge, the number of SE and coliform bacteria in the cecum and liver of colistin and BP-fed birds was lower than the control treatment. In exposed and challenged chickens, the height and surface area of villus were greater in the BP and colistin-supplemented groups. Serum concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase were greater, while serum albumin and triglycerides concentrations were lower in the control treatment. The liver of the challenged chickens had more pathological lesions than exposed birds. BP significantly decreased PPARγ gene expression in exposed chickens. In the challenged and exposed chickens, TLR4 gene expression was lower in BP and colistin-treated birds as compared to the control. In conclusion, adding BP to the diet from the day of age prevents the spread of Salmonella.

Advances in enteropathogen control throughout the meat chicken production chain

Enteropathogens, namely Salmonella and Campylobacter, are a concern in global public health and have been attributed in numerous risk assessments to a poultry source. During the last decade, a large body of research addressing this problem has been published. The literature reviewed contains review articles on certain aspects of poultry production chain; however, in the past decade there has not been a review on the entire chain-farm to fork-of poultry production. For this review, a pool of 514 articles were selected for relevance via a systematic screening process (from >7500 original search articles). These studies identified a diversity of management and intervention strategies for the elimination or reduction of enteropathogens in poultry production. Many studies were laboratory or limited field trials with implementation in true commercial operations being problematic. Entities considering using commercial antienteropathogen products and interventions are advised to perform an internal validation and fit-for-purpose trial as Salmonella and Campylobacter serovars and biovars may have regional diversity. Future research should focus on nonchemical application within the processing plant and how a combination of synergisticinterventions through the production chain may contribute to reducing the overall carcass burden of enteropathogens, coupled with increased consumer education on safe handling and cooking of poultry.

Evaluation of a Bacillus -Based Direct-Fed Microbial on Aflatoxin B1 Toxic Effects, Performance, Immunologic Status, and Serum Biochemical Parameters in Broiler Chickens

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a commercial Bacillus direct-fed microbial (DFM) on aflatoxin B1 toxic effects, performance, and biochemical and immunologic parameters in broiler chickens. Ninety 1-day-old Cobb 500 male broiler chicks were raised in floor pens for a period of 21 days. Chicks were neck-tagged, individually weighed, and randomly allocated to one of three groups: Negative control (basal feed), aflatoxin B1 (basal feed + 2 ppm AFB1), and DFM (basal feed + 2 ppm AFB1 + Bacillus direct-fed microbial). Each group had three replicates of 10 chickens (n = 30/group). Body weight and body weight gain were calculated weekly, while feed intake and feed conversion ratio were determined when broilers were 21 days old. On day 21, all chickens were bled, gastrointestinal samples were collected, and spleen and bursa of Fabricius were weighed. This study confirmed that 2 ppm of AFB1 causes severe detrimental effects on performance, biochemical parameters, and immunologic parameters, generating hepatic lesions in broiler chickens (P < 0.05). However, it was also observed that DFM supplementation provided beneficial effects that might help to improve gut barrier function, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, as well as humoral and cellular immunomodulation. The results of the present study suggest that this Bacillus-DFM added at a concentration of 10⁶ spores/gram of feed can be used to counteract the negative effects that occur when birds consume diets contaminated with AFB1, showing beneficial effects on performance parameters, relative organ weights, hepatic lesions, immune response, and serum biochemical variables. The addition of this Bacillus-DFM might mitigate and decrease aflatoxicosis problems in the poultry industry, improving food security, alleviating public health problems, and providing economic benefits. Future studies are needed to fully elucidate the specific mechanisms by which this Bacillus-DFM counteracts the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1.

Evaluation of Cellulosic Polymers and Curcumin to Reduce Aflatoxin B1 Toxic Effects on Performance, Biochemical, and Immunological Parameters of Broiler Chickens

To evaluate the effect of cellulosic polymers (CEL) and curcumin (CUR) on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) toxic effects on performance, and the biochemical and immunological parameters in broiler chickens, 150 one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated into five groups with three replicates of 10 chickens per pen: Negative Control (feed); AFB1 (feed + 2 ppm AFB1); CUR (feed + 2 ppm AFB1 + Curcumin 0.2%); CEL (feed + 2 ppm AFB1 + 0.3% Cellulosic polymers); and, CEL + CUR (feed + 2 ppm AFB1 + 0.3% Cellulose polymers + 0.2% Curcumin). Every week, body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were calculated. On day 21, liver, spleen, bursa of Fabricius, and intestine from five broilers per replicate per group were removed to obtain relative organ weight. Histopathological changes in liver, several biochemical biomarkers, antibody titers, and muscle and skin pigmentation were also recorded. Dietary addition of 0.3% CEL and 0.2% CUR separately significantly diminished some of the toxic effects resulting from AFB1 on performance parameters, relative organs weight, histopathology, immune response, and serum biochemical variables (P < 0.05); however, the combination of CUR and CEL showed a better-integrated approach for the management of poultry health problems that are related with the consumption of AFB1, since they have different mechanisms of action with different positive effects on the responses of broiler chickens.

Fermented rapeseed meal is effective in controlling Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection and improving growth performance in broiler chicks

The aim of present experiment was to assess the effects of fermented rapeseed meal (FRSM) on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) colonization and growth performance in broiler chicks. Two hundred forty day-old male Cobb 500 broiler chicks were divided into six experimental treatments with four replicates and 10 birds per each. The treatments were including two positive and negative controls which birds received a basal corn-soybean diet as well as four others which birds received the diets that rapeseed meal (RSM) or FRSM was replaced with soybean meal at 50 and 100% levels. All chicks except the negative control birds were challenged orally with 10⁵ CFU of S. Typhimurium at 3days of age. Results showed that birds were fed FRSM had significantly greater lactic acid bacteria populations and lesser S. Typhimurium colonization in ileal and cecal sections compared to others (P<0.05). The less percentage of liver and bursa of fabricius was belonged to negative control group. At 10day, feeding chicks with diet containing FRSM, but not RSM, significantly decreased the organ invasion by S. Typhimurium (P<0.05). Heterophil to lymphocyte ratio was significantly lesser in chicks were fed FRSM compared to those fed RSM or positive control (P<0.05). Birds were fed FRSM had significantly higher weight gain and better feed conversion ratio compared to those birds were fed RSM (P<0.05). The findings of present experiment concerning positive effects of feeding FRSM on reducing S. Typhimurium and improving growth performance show that this processed protein source can be considered as a nutritional effective strategy to control Salmonella contamination in broiler chicks.