Effects of dietary supplementation of cobiotic based on Agave fructans on growth performance, blood parameters, oxidative damage and immune status of broiler.

This study evaluated the effect of cobiotic (CO) composed of organic fructans powder of Agave tequilana and turmeric powder of Curcuma longa L. as an alternative of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) on growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal pH, oxidative stress, and cytokines serum levels of broiler chickens. A total of 135 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers distributed to five experimental groups, which included starter or finisher standard diets without AGPs (CON), CON + 0.25 COLI-ZIN g/kg feed (AGP), CON + 0.1 g Agave fructans/kg feed (AF), CON + 0.5 g turmeric powder/kg feed (TP) and CON + 0.1 g AF + 0.5 g TP /kg feed (CO), for 49 days. AF followed by TP, decreased feed intake, obtaining the best FCR. AGP increased the heterophil-lymphocyte ratio compared to other groups. CO significantly decreased the pH of the cecal content. AF increased IL-10 levels, while TP decreased it. AF decreased the IL-1ß levels. The present study showed that including a cobiotic based on AF and TP or components separately in a broilers diet improved growth performance, modified intestinal and cecum pH, and stimulated the immune system, which suggests CO as a safe alternative to AGP.

Dietary encapsulated Bifidobacterium animalis and Agave fructans improve growth performance, health parameters, and immune response in broiler chickens.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Bifidobacterium animalis, Agave fructans, and symbiotic of both encapsulated on growth performance, feed efficiency, blood parameters, and immune status in broiler chickens, and to compare these with diets including antibiotic growth promoters and without additives. METHODS: A comparative experimental study was carried out with 135 male Ross 308 broiler chickens. Each trial was divided into 5 equal groups. Control group (CON) received a standard diet without growth promoter; GPA, a standard diet with colistin sulfate and zinc bacitracin (0.25 g/kg of feed); PRE, a standard diet with 1% Agave fructans; PRO, a standard diet with Bifidobacterium animalis (11.14±0.70 log CFU/g); SYM, a standard diet with B. animalis and Agave fructans. RESULTS: A significant decrease in food consumption was found for the GPA, PRE, and SYM, compared to the CON group. The results show a better feed conversion index in PRE and GPA with respect to the CON group with the highest conversion index. Interestingly, the weight of the gastrointestinal tract shows a statistically significant difference between GPA and PRE groups. Moreover, the length of the gastrointestinal tract of the GPA group was less than the PRE group. In the total leukocyte count, there was a statistically significant increase in the GPA group compared to the CON, PRE, and PRO groups, and the heterophiles-lymphocytes index was lower in PRO. Regarding the cytokines, interleukin 10 (IL-10) decreased in PRO compared to CON and PRE, while IL-1ß increased in the SYM group. CONCLUSION: Alternative treatments were shown to achieve similar productive results as growth-promoting antibiotics and showed improvement over diet without additives; however, they have immunomodulatory properties and improved the development of the gastrointestinal tract compared to the treatment of growth-promoting antibiotics.

Postbiotics in human health: Possible new functional ingredients?

The human intestinal microbiota is a set of microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract and have a symbiotic relationship with the host. These microorganisms are involved in the regulation of many host metabolic pathways and are related to the host's immune and neurological responses. Probiotic beneficial bacteria and their mechanisms have been extensively studied. However, the health effects of its metabolites or structural components, such as functional ingredients on health have been less explored. Postbiotics can be classified as structural, such as peptides, teichoic acids and plasmalogens. They can also be classified; as well as the metabolites generated by the microbiota; these are short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), vitamins and enzymes. Studies with other types of postbiotics, mainly derived from Lactobacillus, have demonstrated their immunological effects by raising mucin levels and, promoting the development of claudin and occluding. They have also demonstrated decreasing several interleukins of immunological interest. Furthermore, recognized as possible functional ingredients compared to other biotics, they have a longer shelf life and an excellent potential to develop fermented products, being a very good alternative to generate foods with specific health effects. The objective of this review is to describe the characteristics and mechanisms of action of different postbiotics, as well as to present the benefits found in in vitro, clinical trials and in the food industry, proposing them as possible new functional ingredients.