RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS TO THE DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH FEEDING ANTIBIOTIC OR MANNANOLIGOSACCHARIDES

Dorota Jamroz, Andrzej Wiliczkiewicz, Janusz Orda, Tomasz Wertelecki, Jolanta Skorupińska

ABSTRACT

The response of broiler chickens on supplemented diets with Avilamycin (10 mg kg^-1) or mannanoligosaccharides 1.0 or 2.0 / 1.0 / 0.5 g kg^-1 analysed on basic of performance, carcass quality, number of microorganisms in jejunum and caecum content, was determined. The performance results by antibiotic and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) supplementation of diets were comparable. Reduced number of intestinal pathogenic microflora (E. coli, Clostridium perfringens) was visible (p<0.05) in chickens from MOS (2.0 / 1.0 / 0.5 g kg^-1) group in comparisons to control animals. The highest number of Lactobacillus spp. in intestine content was observed in antibiotic group.

Key words: chickens, performance, intestine, microflora, mannanoligosaccharides.

INTRODUCTION

The fructo- and mannanoligosaccharides in the diet improves the immune response [7], may exert a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal biota stability and act as a factor that is able to suppress the Salmonella colonization [4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 17, 22]. The works of Izat et al. [18], Naughton et al. [24], Oyarzabal and Conner [26, 27, 28], Spring et al. [34] indicate that the addition of carbohydrates which are poorly or undigested by poultry inhibits colonization of the gut by Salmonella typhimurium. Fructo- (FOS) and mannano- (MOS) oligosaccharides can reduce the adhesion of fimbrial bacteria of both Type 1 and 2 to the epithelial cells of intestinal mucosa [12, 15, 20, 26, 28, 29, 30]. Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) improves the immunological response to the infections – bronchitis, bursal diseases etc. [32], inhibits the adhesion of Escherichia coli to the intestinal mucosa [10]. The beneficial effect of FOS and MOS on health of poultry, specially of young ones, was confirmed in y other investigations [19, 22], nevertheless the performance and carcass quality were not the basal subject of studies. The response of broiler chickens to the diets supplemented with Avilamycin or MOS preparation and influence of these diets on performance, carcass quality, number of microorganisms in the intestine content in chickens were determined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Animals and feed mixtures

The investigations were carried out with one thousand of Ross 308 male broiler hybrids. One-day old chickens at average body weight of 41 g (ą1,1 g) were randomly divided into four dietary treatments. Each treatment was replicated with five replication-groups each consisted of 50 animals. The chickens were kept on litter. The environmental temperature inside room was gradually reduced from 29-30 to 21^oC. The lighting program was 24 hrs light until 10 days of birds life and later 19 hrs light and 5 hrs darkness. The animals had free access to the drinking water, which was served to them through the nipple drinkers.

The treatment - diets were based on maize and domestic cereals and were supplemented with Allzyme (I-IV), Avilamycin 10 mg kg^-1 (II) and mannanoligosaccharides^* preparation at amount of 1 g kg^-1 (group III) or 2.0 / 1.0 / 0.5 g kg^-1 in starter, grower and finisher diets (group IV). Group I was the negative control for supplemented groups. Starter, grower and finisher premixes were void of any conventional feed antibiotic or alternative substances, only a coccidiostatic (Diclazuril) was applied. The experimental diets were given to the birds ad libitum (days 1-21 starter diet; days 22-35 grower diet and in last week – finisher diet). The crude protein content amounted to 225 g in starter and 200 g in grower and 190 g kg^-1 in finisher mixtures. The metabolizable energy density vary within 12.9-13.4 MJ kg^-1 (Table 1, 1a).

Analytical methods

The chemical composition of the diets and intestine content were determined according to standard methods AOAC [2] (“Weende” analysis): the nitrogen content by Kjeldahl-method using a Kjeltec 2300 Foss Tecator apparatus, crude protein by multiplying the N-content by 6.25, crude fat by ether extraction, crude fibre by the Henneberg-Stohmann method using a Fibertec Tecator apparatus. Phosphorus was analysed after previous mineralization by the ammonium vanadomolybdate method using a Specol 11 (Carl Zeiss Jena) spectrophotometer at a wave length of 470 nm. Calcium was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry using AAS-3 EA-30 type apparatus (Carl Zeiss Jena). For the determination of the amino acids in the diets the feed samples were hydrolyzed with 6N hydrochloric acid (HCl) for 22 hrs at 105°C and amino acids were separated using an Analysator 231 XL Gilson according to the Moore-Stein method [23]. For the determination of the sulphur amino acids the feed sampl es were oxidized (0°C, 24 hrs) with formic acid plus hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) (9:1) before the HCl hydrolysis. After alkaline hydrolysis with lithium hydroxide (LiOH) (110°C, 16 hrs) and 4-dimethyloamino-benzaldehyde (DMAB) the samples for tryptophan estimation were evaluated colorimetrically at a wave length of 590 nm according to Landry and Delhaye [20] procedure.The energy density in the diets was calculated according on analytical basic and formula presented in to the European Tables of Energy Values of Feeds for Poultry, WPSA 1989 [11].

Experimental data

Body weight (day 1), feed intake and the mortality of chickens were determined at day 21 and 42 and for the period of 1-21 and 22-42 days of life. The means for replications were used for further statistical evaluations.

Microorganisms in the intestine content

At slaughter the contents of small intestine (10 cm of terminal part of small intestine) and whole caecum from birds (in total 16 animals per treatment - group, the samples were combined each from two birds) at 42 days of life were collected separately for the E.coli and Clostridium perfringens assay estimation. Ninety-nine ml of buffered peptone water was added (1:100) to one gram of fresh material, then subsequent dilutions were prepared. Clostridium perfringens was cultured on TSC Agar (Merck) in anaerobic conditions under temperature + 37°C during 24 hrs. Escherichia coli was cultured on Chromocult Coliform Agar (Merck) under the same conditions. The presence of E. coli was determined using KOVAC’s preparation for indol estimation. Lactobacillus were cultured on MRS with temperature of incubation +30 °C during 72 hrs.

Carcass quality

At the end of experiment (on 42nd day of life) 16 birds from each dietary treatment were randomly (with average weight) selected for further evaluations of carcass composition. Birds, after 12 h starvation, were slaughtered by cervical dislocation then carcass standard characteristics were determined (dressing percentage, breast muscles, liver, heart, gizzard, abdominal fat share in the empty body).

Statistical analysis

All obtained data were evaluated statistically by one- or two-factorial analysis of variance using Statgraph SAS procedures [31]. Differences between treatment-means were tested according to Duncan’s multiple range test [8]. The data are shown as means and are accompanied by standard deviation values (ąSD).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The body weight of 21 day-old chickens in all treatments was lower than in control group (p<0.05). The differences between antibiotic (II) and “MOS” groups (III and IV) related to the control were worse by 3.5; 5.3 and 5.0%, respectively (p<0.05) (Table 1). In the bird’s body weight on 42nd day of life no significant differences between groups were stated, however a slight effect of feed antibiotic (II) was observed.

The feed efficiency in the first 21 days of life of chickens from group IV, fed with diets supplemented with 2.0 / 1.0 / 0.5 g kg^-1 of MOS (IV) was worse by 4.0% than in control (Table 2). In grower-period the feed conversion was significantly (p<0.05) improved in all experimental groups and these values were better by 4.1-5.7% than in control. Beneficial feed efficiency evaluated for whole experimental period indicate that the differences between groups III and IV vary within 2.6-3.1% in relation to control. Only the differences noted between group II (addition of antibiotic) and group I were statistically confirmed.

The mortality and selection of chickens in the experiment were in all groups low and similar and reached about 4%, however MOS supplementation, especially in the first phase of experiment, significantly (p<0.05) the decreased the losses in group III and IV vs. control animals. These differences were 30 and 40%, respectively.

In carcass quality significant differences between chickens from experimental groups were stated only for breast muscle, abdominal fat and edible giblets share in empty body, however changeabilty of these features was irregular (Table 3).

The response of chickens to the MOS supplementation of feed mixtures was visible in the number of microorganisms in the intestine content. The significant (p<0.01) lowest number of CFU of E. coli and Coliforms was stated in jejunum of chickens from group IV and there the Clostridium bacteria were not found. The increase of Lactobacillus spp. (proliferation) in groups II-IV and reduction of fungi number in groups III-IV in comparison to microbial status in intestine of control chickens were observed (Table 4).

In cecum content the similar tendency of reduction of E. coli, Coliforms, Clostridium and fungi was noted, however Lactobacillus number in cecum content was similar to control, only in “antibiotic” group distinct increase of Lactobacillus CFU was observed. Characteristic was the significantly (p<0.01) higher number of Clostridium perfringens CFU in jejunum and in cecum of chickens fed diets supplemented with antibiotic.

Obtained results show that a clear positive response to the doses of MOS or antibiotic were significant only in very young chickens (21 days) and were seen in body weight and reduced mortality and selection of birds. In feed conversion the best effect was obtained by use of dose of 2.0 / 1.0 / 0.5 g kg^-1 of MOS (IV). This result was similar to the antibiotic efficiency. In investigations of Tucker et al. [35] and Ao et al. [1] the best results in chickens were obtained by use of BIO-MOS at a dose of 1 g kg^-1. Hutel [16], Wróblewska et al. [36], Zduńczyk et al. [37] also obtained better results by supplementation of the diets for turkey with MOS than by application antibiotic or inulin. Explanation of results noted in carcass quality is difficult and in spite of statistically confirmed differences they were not clear. The best parameters were found in carcass quality of chickens from “antibiotic” group.

Reduced number of intestinal pathogenic microflora was evident in chickens from MOS groups and confirms the literature opinion of beneficial influence of mannano oligosaccharides on health [5, 10, 11, 21, 25, 33].

CONCLUSIONS

As a final thought it could be stated that MOS added to the broiler diets at amount of 2, 1 and 0.5 g·kg^-1 may by similar or more effective as a feed antibiotic.

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