Exploration of Zingiber officinale effects on growth performance, immunity and gut morphology in broilers

The current study aimed to determine the effects of different levels of Zingiber officinale as a herbal feed additive on growth performance, carcass characteristic, serum biochemistry, total bacterial count (TBC), gut morphology, and immunological parameters of broilers. A total of 1500, day-old broiler chicks (Hubbard) were equally accredited to five treatment groups, each with six replicates (50 birds/replicate). Five experimental diets were prepared using basal diet i.e. with antibiotics positive control (PC), 3 g/kg ginger (group A), 6 g/kg ginger (group B), 9 g/kg ginger (group C) and without antibiotics negative control (NC). Group A and C showed significantly (p<0.05) higher feed intake (FI) as compared to other groups. Group C showed significantly (p<0.05) lower Total bacterial count (TBC) followed by group B as compared to NC. Carcass characteristics showed non-significant effects among different treatments. Mean villi length and width were significantly (p <0.05) higher in all ginger supplemented groups as compared to the control groups. Blood serum parameters including cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were significantly (p<0.05) lower in groups B and C in comparison with the control groups. Whereas high-density lipoproteins (HDL) was significantly higher in group B as compared to the others. In conclusion, ginger supplementation @0.6% in the basal diet significantly improved growth performance and gut morphometry of broilers. It also showed a positive impact on cholesterol, triglycerides and gut microbes. Therefore, ginger could be a better substitute for antibiotic growth promoters.

Commensal and Opportunistic Bacteria Present in the Microbiota in Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Larvae Differentially Alter the Hosts’ Innate Immune Responses

The roles of host-associated bacteria have gained attention lately, and we now recognise that the microbiota is essential in processes such as digestion, development of the immune system and gut function. In this study, Atlantic cod larvae were reared under germ-free, gnotobiotic and conventional conditions. Water and fish microbiota were characterised by 16S rRNA gene analyses. The cod larvae’s transcriptional responses to the different microbial conditions were analysed by a custom Agilent 44 k oligo microarray. Gut development was assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Water and fish microbiota differed significantly in the conventional treatment and were dominated by different fast-growing bacteria. Our study indicates that components of the innate immune system of cod larvae are downregulated by the presence of non-pathogenic bacteria, and thus may be turned on by default in the early larval stages. We see indications of decreased nutrient uptake in the absence of bacteria. The bacteria also influence the gut morphology, reflected in shorter microvilli with higher density in the conventional larvae than in the germ-free larvae. The fact that the microbiota alters innate immune responses and gut morphology demonstrates its important role in marine larval development.

The Efficiency of Probiotics Administrated via Different Routes and Doses in Enhancing Production Performance, Meat Quality, Gut Morphology, and Microbial Profile of Broiler Chickens

To study the efficiency of Bacillus spp. probiotics administered via different routes and doses, a 6-week grow-out trial was conducted using a total of 378 day-old mixed-sex ROSS308 broiler chickens in a completely randomized block design. Six experimental diets included probiotics added at two different inclusion rates into the feed (250 g/ton; PRO250, or 500 g/ton; PRO500), or in the drinking water (25 g/L; PRO-WS), or as a feed synbiotic (250 g probiotic + 250 g/ton prebiotic; SYN), compared to a negative (NC; without additives) and positive control (PC; with antibiotics) diets. The PRO-WS enhanced feed intake (p < 0.05) and tended to improve average daily gain and final body weight (p = 0.14). Broiler gut morphology in the duodenum including the villus height (p = 0.04), villus width (p = 0.05) and crypt depth (p = 0.02) were improved by PRO500. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes. Streptococcaceae, Lachnoospiraceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Erysipe-lotrichaceae were the top five most abundant families. Antibiotic inclusion in PC reduced microbial beta-diversity and increased similarity compared to probiotic inclusion (p = 0.05). Probiotic inclusion reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroides fragilis, which is a commonly isolated pathogen and is considered as a marker for antimicrobial resistance. Overall, probiotic supplementation via feed or water may potentially improve the production performance of the broiler chickens, and water-soluble probiotics are potentially more effective. Probiotics, especially when added to water, suggest a promising feed additive to support gut microbial maturation and diversity, and may reduce resistant bacteria in broiler chickens. However, it is suggested that the best route for the administration of probiotics be further examined under commercial conditions to find the most effective and practical application method that yields the most consistent results.

Effects of Thermally Oxidized Vegetable Oil on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics, Gut Morphology, Nutrients Utilization, Serum Cholesterol and Meat Fatty Acid Profile in Broilers

The impacts of dietary levels of oxidized vegetable (sunflower) oil on growth performance, gut morphology, nutrients utilization, serum cholesterol and meat fatty acid profile were evaluated in Ross 308 straight-run (n = 192) day-old broilers. The broilers were arbitrarily distributed among four dietary treatments including; FVO: fresh vegetable oil (1 mEq kg−1), LOO: low oxidized (20 mEq kg−1), MOO: moderately oxidized (40 mEq kg−1), and HOO: highly oxidized vegetable oil (60 mEq kg−1) with 5% inclusion containing six replicates. Results revealed that the broilers consuming MOO and HOO based diets showed reduced (p = 0.05) feed intake, body weight gain and carcass weight accompanied by a poorer feed conversion ratio than those consuming FVO. Villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio, ileal digestibility of crude protein (p = 0.041), crude fat (p = 0.032) and poly unsaturated fatty acids (p = 0.001) in thigh muscles were decreased, whereas crypt depth (p = 0.001), serum cholesterol levels (p = 0.023) and short chain fatty acids (p = 0.001) were increased (p < 0.001) by increasing dietary oxidation level. In conclusion, MOO and HOO exerted deleterious effects on growth, carcass weight, gut development and nutrients utilization. Low oxidized vegetable oil (20 mEq kg−1), however, with minimum negative effects can be used as a cost effective energy source in poultry diets.

Effect of dietary organic acids supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut morphology in weaned pigs

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different organic acid (<b>OA</b>) mixtures on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut morphology in weaned pigs. A total of 56 weaned pigs (7.93 ± 1.04 kg body weight) were assigned to four dietary treatments with seven replicates per treatment for a 35-d study conducted over two phases; phase 1 (d 1 to 14) and phase 2 (d 14 to 35). Diets consisted of 1) a corn-soybean meal-basal diet without any additive (negative control, <b>NC</b>); 2) NC + formic and propionic acids (<b>TRT1</b>); 3) NC + butyric, formic, and propionic acids (<b>TRT2</b>); and 4) NC + antibiotic (positive control, <b>PC</b>). During the overall period, the gain to feed ratio of pigs fed the PC and TRT1 diets tended to be higher (<i>P</i> = 0.059) than that of the NC diet. However, OA supplementation had no effects on nutrient digestibility. Jejunal villus height to crypt depth ratio was higher (<i>P</i> < 0.05) in pigs fed the TRT1 diet than those fed the NC diet. In conclusion, dietary OA supplementation tended to increase overall feed efficiency and improved gut morphology in weaned pigs.

513 Late-Breaking: Effects of Dietary Protein Content and Crystalline Amino Acid Supplementation Patterns on Gut Health of Weaned Pigs Raised Under Different Sanitary Conditions

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) content and crystalline amino acids (CAA) supplementation patterns on the histomorphology, immune response, and microbial metabolites in weaned pigs under clean (CSC) or unclean sanitary conditions (USC). One hundred forty-four piglets (6.35 ± 0.63 kg BW) were assigned to 1 of 3 diets: a high CP (HCP; 21%) and two low CP (LCP; 18%) diets supplemented with 10 crystalline indispensable amino acids (IAA) to meet all IAA requirements or only 6 IAA (Lys, Met, Thr, Trp, Val, and Ile) to meet IAA requirements except for Leu, His, and Phe. Each treatment had 8 replicates per sanitary condition with 3 pigs per pen. The CSC room was cleaned and washed weekly, whereas the USC room remained unwashed throughout the experiment and had sow manure spread in the pens. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with orthogonal contrasts. Pigs fed the LCP diets had longer (P &lt; 0.05) jejunal villi and higher villus height to crypt depth ratios than those fed the HCP diet. No significant difference is found in histomorphology between pigs fed LCP diets with different CAA supplementation patterns. Pigs raised under USC had greater (P &lt; 0.05) plasma interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6 concentrations and reduced (P &lt; 0.05) plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentration. Also, the LCP diets resulted in a greater (P &lt; 0.05) plasma IL-10 concentration. Interactions (P &lt; 0.05) between sanitation and dietary CP content were observed for goblet cell density and acetate and total volatile fatty acids contents in the jejunum. In conclusion, CAA supplementation patterns did not affect gut morphology in weaned pigs. Feeding LCP diets to weaned pigs improved gut morphology and microbial metabolites in jejunum under USC and ameliorated systemic inflammation induced by USC.