Enterococcus faecium PNC01 isolated from the intestinal mucosa of chicken as an alternative for antibiotics to reduce feed conversion rate in broiler chickens.

BACKGROUND: The development and utilization of probiotics had many environmental benefits for replacing antibiotics in animal production. Bacteria in the intestinal mucosa have better adhesion to the host intestinal epithelial cells compared to bacteria in the intestinal contents. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens and investigated as the substitution to antibiotic in broiler production. RESULTS: In addition to acid resistance, high temperature resistance, antimicrobial sensitivity tests, and intestinal epithelial cell adhesion, Enterococcus faecium PNC01 (E. faecium PNC01) was showed to be non-cytotoxic to epithelial cells. Draft genome sequence of E. faecium PNC01 predicted that it synthesized bacteriocin to perform probiotic functions and bacteriocin activity assay showed it inhibited Salmonella typhimurium from invading intestinal epithelial cells. Diet supplemented with E. faecium PNC01 increased the ileal villus height and crypt depth in broiler chickens, reduced the relative length of the cecum at day 21, and reduced the relative length of jejunum and ileum at day 42. Diet supplemented with E. faecium PNC01 increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus, decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroides in the cecal microbiota. CONCLUSION: E. faecium PNC01 replaced antibiotics to reduce the feed conversion rate. Furthermore, E. faecium PNC01 improved intestinal morphology and altered the composition of microbiota in the cecum to reduce feed conversion rate. Thus, it can be used as an alternative for antibiotics in broiler production to avoid the adverse impact of antibiotics by altering the gut microbiota.

Impact of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide and its effects on coccidia challenge in broiler chickens.

1. Two experiments were conducted, the first to determine the optimum inclusion of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) in broiler diets to support growth performance, digestive functions, intestinal morphology, and immune organs. The second experiment evaluated the immune-protective properties of COS on broiler chickens during coccidia challenge (CC).2. Experiment 1 investigated the effect of graded dietary concentration of COS in the diets of broiler chickens using eight cage replicates for each of the six diets. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was used as the basal diet and supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 g of COS/kg feed to form the six treatments.3. The diet supplemented with 1.0 g COS/kg of feed provided the optimal inclusion level for broiler chickens regarding body weight (BW) gain, jejunal villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio, and ileal energy digestibility at d 22 of age.4. Experiment 2 investigated the immune-protective properties of COS in broiler chickens during CC. A total of 224 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to eight replicate cages in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two COS concentrations (0 or 1 g of COS/kg of diet), with or without CC.5. On d 18 of age, birds in the CC group received twice the recommended coccidia vaccine dose of 30 doses/kg BW.6. Coccidia challenge reduced (P < 0.05) and dietary COS increased (P < 0.05) BW gain, and feed intake. Dietary COS mitigated (P < 0.05) the CC-induced effects on gain:feed. Dietary COS supplementation attenuated the CC-induced effects (P < 0.05) on the expression of occludin genes.7. In conclusion, dietary COS improved performance, and the immune-related beneficial impact of COS supplementation was associated with reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes.

Response of broiler chickens to xylanase and butyrate supplementation.

A 2 × 2 factorial experiment was used to evaluate the effect of xylanase and sodium butyrate supplementation on performance, intestinal fermentation, histology, and morphometry in broiler chickens. A total of 384 Ross 308 broiler chicks (1-day-old) were allocated to 4 experimental treatments: CTR (control diet), XYL (CTR diet with 16,000 BXU/kg of xylanase), BUT (CTR diet with 1 kg/t sodium butyrate), and XYL+BUT (CTR diet plus xylanase and sodium butyrate). Each treatment had 8 replicates of 12 animals. Starter and grower diets, based on wheat and soybean meal, and water were available ad libitum. Body weight gain and feed intake were measured from 0 to 42 D, and feed conversion ratio corrected for mortality (FCR) was calculated. The profile of short-chain fatty acids in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca digesta on days 21 and 42 was analyzed in addition to the relative weights of the different portions of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and villus to crypt (VH: CD) ratio from the ileal tissue on day 42 were also evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using a 2-way ANOVA. Xylanase supplementation improved 42-D FCR by 5 points (P = 0.006), while butyrate did not affect 42-D FCR. On day 21, birds fed butyrate had heavier total GIT (P = 0.024), duodenum (P < 0.001), and jejunum (P = 0.025). Xylanase did not influence the relative weights in any intestinal section except the crop which was smaller in xylanase supplemented birds. At day 42, the VH: CD ratio was increased with sodium butyrate (P = 0.005). Supplementation of broiler diets with xylanase improved performance but had little effect on intestinal measures, whereas sodium butyrate influenced many of the intestinal indices with no consequence on animal performance.

Feeding value of field beans (Vicia faba L. var. minor) with and without enzyme containing tannase, pectinase and xylanase activities for broilers.

Effects of field beans with various tannin content and exogenous enzyme mixture containing tannase, pectinase and xylanase activities on N-corrected dietary apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn), coefficients of dry matter (DMR) and nitrogen retention (NR), fat digestibility, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, jejunal villus morphometry, ileal digesta viscosity and sialic acid were examined. Birds' growth performance and energy conversion ratio (ECR) were also measured. Birds were fed one of eight mash diets. The Control diet contained as major ingredients wheat (400 g/kg) and soybean meal (SBM) (127 g/kg and 221 g crude protein/kg and 12.83 MJ AMEn/kg. To reduce nutrient density, the Control diet also contained washed sand at 119 g/kg. Another three diets containing 300 g/kg of each of three experimental field bean cultivar samples in replacement for SBM and sand were also mixed. Each diet was fed to nine pens with two male Ross 308 broilers. Diets high in tannin had low AMEn, ECR, DMR and NR (p < 0.001). Feeding field beans increased (p < 0.001) the weights of the pancreas and the proventriculus and gizzard (PG) of the birds. Supplementing diets with the enzyme mixture improved (p < 0.001) feed conversion efficiency, AMEn and all nutrient utilisation coefficients despite the tannins in diets. The enzyme mixture reduced ileal digesta viscosity (p < 0.001) and the weight of pancreas, total GIT and PG (p < 0.05) of the birds. It can be concluded that the feeding value of field beans with different tannin contents may vary when fed to broilers. The supplementation of the enzyme mixture improved the feeding value of diets for broilers. The beneficial effect of the addition of the enzyme mixture seems to be mediated through reduced ileal digesta viscosity and improved nutrient availability.

Effects of low-protein diets supplemented with indispensable amino acids on growth performance, intestinal morphology and immunological parameters in 13 to 35 kg pigs.

The objective of this study was to determine if a moderate or high reduction of dietary CP, supplemented with indispensable amino acids (IAA), would affect growth, intestinal morphology and immunological parameters of pigs. A total of 40 barrows (initial BW=13.50±0.50 kg, 45±2 day of age) were used in a completely randomized block design, and allocated to four dietary treatments containing CP levels at 20.00%, 17.16%, 15.30% and 13.90%, respectively. Industrial AA were added to meet the IAA requirements of pigs. After 4-week feeding, blood and tissue samples were obtained from pigs. The results showed that reducing dietary CP level decreased average daily gain, plasma urea nitrogen concentration and relative organ weights of liver and pancreas (P<0.01), and increased feed conversion ratio (P<0.01). Pigs fed the 13.90% CP diet had significantly lower growth performance than that of pigs fed higher CP at 20.00%, 17.16% or 15.30%. Moreover, reducing dietary CP level decreased villous height in duodenum (P<0.01) and crypt depth in duodenum, jejunum and ileum (P<0.01). The reduction in the dietary CP level increased plasma concentrations of methionine, alanine (P<0.01) and lysine (P<0.05), and decreased arginine (P<0.05). Intriguingly, reducing dietary CP level from 20.00% to 13.90% resulted in a significant decrease in plasma concentration of IgG (P<0.05), percentage of CD3+T cells of the peripheral blood (P<0.01), also down-regulated the mRNA abundance of innate immunity-related genes on toll-like receptor 4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (P<0.01) and nuclear factor kappa B (P<0.05) in the ileum. These results indicate that reducing dietary CP level from 20.00% to 15.30%, supplemented with IAA, had no significant effect on growth performance and had a limited effect on immunological parameters. However, a further reduction of dietary CP level up to 13.90% would lead to poor growth performance and organ development, associated with the modifications of intestinal morphology and immune function.

Effect of different doses of coated butyric acid on growth performance and energy utilization in broilers.

We recently applied four dietary treatments in experiments I and II to determine the effect of protected calcium butyrate (BP) on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens. A group of one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks (total 960, 480 per trial) were used in the study. In experiment I, the basal diets were fed with protected BP inclusion (0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 g/kg of finished feed) (BP) or without (C). In experiment II, 4 different diets were tested: 1) basal diet with no supplementation (C), 2) basal diet supplemented with protected BP (0.3 g/kg) (BP), 3) basal diet supplemented with avilamycin (6 mg/kg, active substance) a common antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) (Av), and 4) basal diet supplemented with the combination of both avilaymicin and BP. In experiment I, considering the entire study period, the use of BP improved feed conversion ratio (P<0.05) irrespective of the dose. Apparent total tract crude fat digestibility and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEN) were improved after BP supplementation (P<0.05). In experiment II, A or AB diets improved (P<0.05) body weight gain compared to the control treatment. The diets Av, BP, and AvB improved (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio compared to the control treatment. Birds from the treatment diet were characterized by having the thickest mucosa (P<0.05). On days 14, 35, and 42, the use of AB diets improved AMENcontent compared to the control treatment (P<0.05). The apparent ileal digestibility of amino acid data showed that Av or AvB treated birds were characterized by higher Asp, Glu, Cys, Gly, and Ala ileal digestibility than the control animals (P<0.05). The use of Av, BP, or AvB increased ileal digestibility of Thr, Ser, and Pro (P<0.05). There is an indication that BP, alone or in combination with avilamycin, improve the digestion and absorptive processes and consequently birds performance results.

Colostrum quality affects immune system establishment and intestinal development of neonatal calves.

The first meal of a neonatal calf after birth is crucial for survival and health. The present experiment was performed to assess the effects of colostrum quality on IgG passive transfer, immune and antioxidant status, and intestinal morphology and histology in neonatal calves. Twenty-eight Holstein neonatal male calves were used in the current study, 24 of which were assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: those that received colostrum (GrC), transitional milk (GrT, which was obtained after the first milking on 2-3 d after calving), and bulk tank milk (GrB) only at birth. The 4 extra neonatal calves who were not fed any milk were assigned to the control group and were killed immediately after birth to be a negative control to small intestinal morphology and histology detection. Calves in GrC gained more body weight than in GrT, whereas GrB calves lost 0.4 kg compared with the birth weight. Serum total protein, IgG, and superoxide dismutase concentrations were highest in GrC, GrT was intermediate, whereas GrB was the lowest on d 2, 3, and 7. Apparent efficiency of absorption at 48 h, serum complement 3 (C3), and complement 4 (C4) on d 2, 3, and 7 in GrB was low compared with GrC and GrT. On the contrary, malondialdehyde on d 7 increased in GrB. Calves in GrC had better villus length and width, crypt depth, villus height/crypt depth (V/C) value, and mucosal thickness in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, whereas GrT calves had lower villus length and width, crypt depth, and mucosal thickness than those fed colostrum. Villi of calves in GrB were nonuniform, sparse, severely atrophied, and apically abscised, and Peyer's patches and hydroncus were detected. Overall, colostrum is the best source for calves in IgG absorption, antioxidant activities, and serum growth metabolites, and promoting intestinal development. The higher quality of colostrum calves ingested, the faster immune defense mechanism and the more healthy intestinal circumstances they established.

An L-Arginine supplement improves broiler hypertensive response and gut function in broiler chickens reared at high altitude.

An experiment was carried out to examine the effects of supplemental dietary arginine (ARG) on growth, hypertensive response, and gut function in broilers reared at high altitude (2,100 m). A total of 120 day-old male broilers (Cobb 500) were divided equally into two treatment groups. Treatments included a control basal diet composed of corn and soybean meal and an experimental diet to which an L-ARG supplement was added at 10 g/kg. The trial lasted for 42 days. There were no treatment differences with regard to feed intake, body weight gain, or feed conversion ratio. However ARG supplementation did increase the plasma concentration of nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator (P<0.05), and attenuated indices of pulmonary hypertension as reflected by reductions in the hematocrit and the right to total ventricular weight ratio (P<0.05). Significantly enhanced intestinal mucosal development was observed in broilers receiving ARG supplement when compared with controls (P<0.05), suggesting that ARG supplementation increased the absorptive surface area of the jejunum and ileum. In conclusion, broiler diets supplemented with ARG beneficially improved pulmonary hemodynamics and appeared to enhance gut function.

Supplementation of direct-fed microbials as an alternative to antibiotic on growth performance, immune response, cecal microbial population, and ileal morphology of broiler chickens.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the supplementation of direct-fed microbials (DFM) as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance, immune response, cecal microbial population, and ileal morphology of broiler chickens. A total of 800 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross × Ross) were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments with 4 replicate pens per treatment (50 birds/replicate pen). The 4 dietary treatments fed for 35 d were a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control); control plus 0.1% virginiamycin, as an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); control plus 0.1% direct-fed microbials that contained Lactobacillus reuteri (DFM 1); and control plus 0.1% direct-fed microbials that contained a mixture of L. reuteri, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (DFM 2). Results showed that dietary AGP and DFM supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) the BW gain of broilers during 0 to 21 d. The feed intake was reduced, whereas the feed conversion was improved significantly when birds were fed DFM 2 at 0 to 7 d of age. The white blood cell and monocyte levels were significantly higher in the DFM 2 group compared with the control. In addition, feeding DFM significantly (P < 0.05) increased the plasma immunoglobulin levels where a higher level was observed in DFM 2 compared with those of the other treatments. Neither DFM nor AGP treatments affected the cecal Lactobacillus and Salmonella content; however, cecal Escherichia coli content significantly decreased in broiler chickens fed DFM and AGP. The ileal villus height, and width and total thickness of muscularis externa were significantly increased when birds were fed DFM compared with AGP and control. These results indicate that the dietary supplementation of DFM increases the growth performance of birds at an early age, stimulates the immune response, decreases the number of E. coli, and improves the ileal morphology of broiler chickens. Thus, DFM that contained a mixture of several beneficial microorganisms could be a viable alternative to antibiotics in the broiler diets.

A note on sampling digesta from the ileum of broilers in phosphorus digestibility studies.

The responses of broilers to increments of dietary P concentration in P retention and P prececal digestibility were studied in 2 experiments using Ross 308 broilers in their fourth week of age. The low-P basal diet was mainly based on corn, potato protein, and corn starch. Titanium dioxide was used as the indigestible marker. Monobasic calcium phosphate was added in 6 (experiment 1) or 5 (experiment 2) graded levels up to a maximum of 8.1 g of P/kg of the diet. Five (experiment 1) and 6 (experiment 2) replicated pens of 10 birds were used. Excreta were collected from trays underneath the pens. Birds were asphyxiated by carbon dioxide exposure and the ileum (from Meckel's diverticulum to 2-cm anterior to the ileo-ceca-colonic junction) was dissected. Digesta was collected from the entire section (experiment 1) or from 3 subsections of equal lengths (experiment 2). Excretion of P increased linearly with increasing dietary P concentration up to a level of about 5.2 g of P/kg of the diet and increased nonlinearly with further increase in dietary P. In contrast, P flow in the ileum increased linearly over the entire range of P intake. Up to the level of 5.2 g of P/kg of the diet, P excretion was slightly lower than P flow in the ileum, but responses in P excretion and P flow in the ileum were similar, suggesting that P excretion with urine is very low and unaffected by P intake when the birds are supplied with P below their requirement. Between the 3 subsections of the ileum, calculated digestibility was significantly different for the basal diet and the diet with the 3 lowest levels of P supplementation. We concluded that the response in P prececal digestibility to increments in dietary P concentration is linear over a wider range of dietary P than the response in P retention. When digesta is collected from the ileum for determination of P prececal digestibility, the first third of the ileum should not be considered.

Wheat-barley-rye- or corn-fed growing pigs respond differently to dietary supplementation with a carbohydrase complex.

Thirty-six pigs (22 kg of BW) were used to evaluate a carbohydrase preparation, with xylanase and ß-glucanase as main activities, added to either wheat-barley-rye- (WBR) or corn-based diets on performance, intestinal environment, and nutrient digestibility. Pigs were offered 1 of 4 different dietary treatments for 27 d according to a factorial arrangement of treatments (a 2 × 2) with 2 cereal types (WBR or corn) and 2 levels of supplemental carbohydrase (0 or 0.01%). Pig growth and feed intake were individually measured every week until the end of the experiment when pigs were slaughtered to obtain samples of digesta and tissues. Cereal type affected performance only during wk 1, in which WBR improved ADG (590 vs. 440 g/d; P = 0.008) and G:F (0.61 vs. 0.43; P = 0.045) compared with corn. The WBR also increased the viscosity of the digestive contents in stomach (1.95 vs. 1.23 mPa·s; P = 0.001) and ileum (6.53 vs. 2.80 mPa·s; P = 0.001) and resulted in greater cecal starch digestibility (95.7 vs. 93.9%; P = 0.012). However, trends for a reduction in digestibility were observed for glucose in the nonstarch polysaccharide (NSP) fraction in the ileum (64.4 vs. 75.8%; P = 0.074) and galactose in the NSP fraction in the cecum (1.4 vs. 1.8%; P = 0.055). The use of the enzyme preparation increased ADFI during wk 2 (1,328 vs. 1,215 g/d; P = 0.028), and increased villus height (423 vs. 390 µm; P = 0.045) and tended to reduce relative pancreas weight (0.16 vs. 0.17% BW; P = 0.079) at d 27. The enzyme also improved cecal starch digestibility (95.5 vs. 94.1%; P = 0.043) and tended to improve ileal energy digestibility (61.3 vs. 53.7%; P = 0.090) and cecal glucose digestibility in the NSP fraction (76.0 vs. 54.5%; P = 0.055). However, it reduced the cecal digestibility of mannose in the NSP fraction (27.0 vs. 50.5%; P = 0.016). Interactions (P < 0.05) between cereal type and enzyme supplementation were observed for ADG and G:F during wk 2, BW and ADG during wk 3, and BW and ADFI over the whole trial; and also for villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio and for cecal DM digestibility. In all instances, whereas the added enzyme had no effect in the case of the corn diet, improvements were observed with WBR. In conclusion, the multi-enzyme tested had different effects depending on the type of cereal present in the diet.

Granulated lysozyme as an alternative to antibiotics improves growth performance and small intestinal morphology of 10-day-old pigs.

Lysozyme is a 1,4-ß-N-acetylmuramidase that has antimicrobial properties. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of a purified granulated lysozyme, compared with antibiotics, on growth performance, small intestinal morphology, and Campylobacter shedding in 10-d-old pigs. Forty-eight pigs (n = 16 per treatment), with an initial BW of 4.0 ± 0.1 kg (P > 0.40), were weaned at 10 d of age, blocked by litter and sex, and assigned to pens (8 pigs/pen). Each block was randomly assigned to consume 1 of 3 liquid dietary treatments for 14 d: a control diet, the control diet + lysozyme (100 mg/kg of diet), or the control diet + antibiotics (neomycin and oxytetracycline, 16 mg/kg of diet). Pigs were weighed and blood was sampled on d 0, 7, and 14. Blood was analyzed for plasma urea N and IgA. After 14 d of treatment, pigs were killed and samples of the jejunum and ileum were collected and fixed to measure villus height and crypt depth. Rectal swabs were taken on d 0, 7, and 14 of treatment, and samples of ileal and cecal contents were taken at d 14 of treatment to determine the presence of Campylobacter. Pigs consuming lysozyme and antibiotics gained BW at a faster rate than did control pigs over the course of the study (402 ± 12 and 422 ± 14 g/d, respectively, vs. 364 ± 14 g/d; P < 0.02), resulting in heavier ending BW (9.9 ± 0.3, 9.9 ± 0.3, and 9.0 ± 0.2 kg for pigs in the lysozyme, antibiotic, and control groups, respectively; P < 0.03). Immunoglobulin A decreased and plasma urea N increased over the course of the study (P < 0.1), regardless of dietary treatment (P > 0.6). Crypt depth was increased in pigs fed lysozyme- and antibiotic-treated diets, compared with pigs fed the control diet, in both the jejunum (60.0 ± 2.8 and 62.2 ± 3.0 µm, respectively, vs. 50.7 ± 3.1 µm; P < 0.03) and ileum (76.0 ± 7.5 and 72.2 ± 5.0 µm, respectively, vs. 52.4 ± 3.5 µm; P < 0.02). Villus height did not differ in the jejunum (P > 0.2) but was increased in the ileum of pigs consuming the lysozyme- and antibiotic-treated diets, compared with pigs fed the control diet (312 ± 20 and 314 ± 10 µm, respectively, vs. 263 ± 15 µm; P < 0.4). Small intestinal total mucosa and mucosal protein concentrations, as well as disaccharidase-specific activities, were not altered by lysozyme or antibiotics (P > 0.05). Campylobacter was detected in 27% of control samples but in only 5% of samples from pigs fed antibiotics and 8% of samples from pigs fed lysozyme (P < 0.01). Thus, granulated lysozyme is a suitable alternative to antibiotics for 10-d-old pigs consuming manufactured liquid diets.

Effects of adding yeast cell walls and Yucca schidigera extract to diets of layer chicks.

This research was conducted to determine the impact of diet supplementation with yeast cell walls and Yucca schidigera extract on the growth performance, antibody titres, and intestinal tissue histology of layer chicks. White, 1-d-old, Hy-Line hybrid chicks (n = 840) were divided into 4 main groups, each comprising 7 replicates of 30 chicks (n = 210): (1) control; (2) 1000 mg/kg yeast cell walls (YCW) added; (3) 1000 mg/kg Yucca schidigera extract (YE) added; and (4) 500 mg/kg YE + 500 mg/kg YCW added. The trial lasted 60 d. Daily weight gain of the chicks was positively affected between d 45-60 in the YE and YCW + YE groups compared with the control group. Overall, feed consumption did not differ between the control and YCW, YE, YCW + YE groups during the 60 d study period. Feed efficiency was better in the YE and YCW + YE groups than in the control group between d 1-60. During the 60 d evaluation period, live weight gain, and final live weight were higher in YE and YCW + YE groups than in the control group. Antibody titres against infectious bronchitis and infectious bursal disease did not differ among the 4 treatments, but those for Newcastle disease were higher in the YE + YCW groups than in the control, YCW and YE groups on d 45. There were differences in intestinal histomorphometry between the 4 treatments. The height of the jejunal and ileal villi was greater in the YE and YCW + YE groups than in the control and YCW groups. It can be concluded that YCW and YE supplementation for layer chicks is beneficial for growth performance and intestinal histology during the 1-60 d growing period.

The effect of partial replacement of soyabean meal with sunflower meal on ileal adaptation, nutrient utilisation and growth performance of young turkeys.

1. A 4 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the effect of graded levels of sunflower meal (SFM; 0, 70, 140 and 210 g/kg) and enzyme supplementation on gut morphology, nutrient utilisation and growth performance of young turkeys from 0 to 8 weeks of age. The enzyme supplement used in the study contained non-starch polysaccharide (NSP)-degrading activities and supplied 500 U pectinase, 40 U cellulase, 1600 U xylanase, 800 U glucanase, 200 U mannanase, 20 U galactanase per kg diet. 2. The use of SFM resulted in an increase in the height and width of intestinal villi, and a linear decrease in crypt depth. Dry matter digestibility and energy metabolisability decreased in groups fed diets with a moderate (140 g/kg) and high (210 g/kg) SFM content. 3. A decrease in dry matter digestibility and energy metabolisability was most likely the reason for a reduction in body weights of 8-week-old turkeys fed on diets containing 140 g/kg (from 4 x 17 to 4 x 01 kg) and 210 g/kg (from 4 x 17 to 3 x 93?kg) of SFM. 4. The addition of enzyme resulted in a slight increase in villus height, a significant increase in the number of goblet cells and an increase in digestibility coefficients for crude fat. 5. The results of this study demonstrate that turkey diets can be effectively supplemented with high-quality sunflower meal at a concentration of approximately 70 g/kg. It should be noted, however, that at 8 weeks of age the body weight of turkeys fed on diets containing 140 and 210 g/kg of SFM could be lower by 4 and 6%, respectively, than in those receiving the soyabean meal-based diets.

Cell proliferation of the ileum intestinal mucosa of diabetic rats treated with ascorbic acid.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the ascorbic acid supplementation on the cellular proliferation on the ileum mucosa of diabetic rats. Fifteen 90-days rats were divided in the groups: control, diabetic and diabetic supplemented with ascorbic acid (DA). Two hours prior the sacrifice, they were injected with Vincristin. Semi-seriate histological cuts stained with HE were accomplished. About 2500 crypt cells from the intestinal mucosa were counted in order to obtain the metaphasic indexes. The height and depth of 30 villi and 30 crypts were measured for each animal, respectively. The metaphasic indexes showed no significant changes when we compared the three groups: 20.2 +/- 0.7 (control), 18 +/- 1.9 (diabetic) and 17 +/- 1.4 (DA) (p > 0.05). The values obtained from the crypts measurement were 221.2 +/- 8.5 (control), 225.3 +/- 9.5 (diabetic) and 222 +/- 34 (DA). The villi of the control, diabetic and DA animals presented the following results: 301.7 +/- 25.33, 304.8 +/- 25.63 and 322.1 +/- 45.77 respectively. The morphometric data were not different statistically (p > 0.05). Summing up, the present work showed that there was no alteration in the cellular proliferation of the ileum of diabetic-induced rats supplemented with ascorbic acid.

Cell proliferation of the ileum intestinal mucosa of diabetic rats treated with ascorbic acid

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the ascorbic acid supplementation on the cellular proliferation on the ileum mucosa of diabetic rats. Fifteen 90-days rats were divided in the groups: control, diabetic and diabetic supplemented with ascorbic acid (DA). Two hours prior the sacrifice, they were injected with Vincristin. Semi-seriate histological cuts stained with HE were accomplished. About 2500 crypt cells from the intestinal mucosa were counted in order to obtain the metaphasic indexes. The height and depth of 30 villi and 30 crypts were measured for each animal, respectively. The metaphasic indexes showed no significant changes when we compared the three groups: 20.2 +/- 0.7 (control), 18 +/- 1.9 (diabetic) and 17 +/- 1.4 (DA) (p > 0.05). The values obtained from the crypts measurement were 221.2 +/- 8.5 (control), 225.3 +/- 9.5 (diabetic) and 222 +/- 34 (DA). The villi of the control, diabetic and DA animals presented the following results: 301.7 +/- 25.33, 304.8 +/- 25.63 and 322.1 +/- 45.77 respectively. The morphometric data were not different statistically (p > 0.05). Summing up, the present work showed that there was no alteration in the cellular proliferation of the ileum of diabetic-induced rats supplemented with ascorbic acid.(AU)

Cell proliferation of the ileum intestinal mucosa of diabetic rats treated with ascorbic acid

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the ascorbic acid supplementation on the cellular proliferation on the ileum mucosa of diabetic rats. Fifteen 90-days rats were divided in the groups: control, diabetic and diabetic supplemented with ascorbic acid (DA). Two hours prior the sacrifice, they were injected with Vincristin. Semi-seriate histological cuts stained with HE were accomplished. About 2500 crypt cells from the intestinal mucosa were counted in order to obtain the metaphasic indexes. The height and depth of 30 villi and 30 crypts were measured for each animal, respectively. The metaphasic indexes showed no significant changes when we compared the three groups: 20.2 +/- 0.7 (control), 18 +/- 1.9 (diabetic) and 17 +/- 1.4 (DA) (p > 0.05). The values obtained from the crypts measurement were 221.2 +/- 8.5 (control), 225.3 +/- 9.5 (diabetic) and 222 +/- 34 (DA). The villi of the control, diabetic and DA animals presented the following results: 301.7 +/- 25.33, 304.8 +/- 25.63 and 322.1 +/- 45.77 respectively. The morphometric data were not different statistically (p > 0.05). Summing up, the present work showed that there was no alteration in the cellular proliferation of the ileum of diabetic-induced rats supplemented with ascorbic acid.

Supplementation of glutamine and vitamin E on the morphometry of the intestinal mucosa in broiler chickens.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of Gln and vitamin E (VE) supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens (Cobb-Vantress) on the morphometry of the intestinal mucosa. The design was completely randomized in a 2 x 3 (VE x periods of administering Gln) factorial arrangement. The levels of VE used were 10 and 500 mg/kg of diet and 3 periods of administering (1%) Gln-supplemented starter diet (for the first 7 or 14 d of life or for no added Gln), totaling 6 treatments with 5 replicates of 50 birds per experimental unit. In the growth period (d 22 to 41 posthatch), the treatments consisted only in the respective levels of VE. On d 7, 14, 21, and 41 posthatch, 2 birds per replicate were killed, and samples of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were subsequently removed, fixed in Bouin solution, and later embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The parameters analyzed were villus height and crypt depth. An ANOVA was applied to the obtained data, and the means were compared using Tukey's test (5% significance level). Greater development was observed in the duodenum, followed by the jejunum and ileum. On 41 d of life, diets with 10 mg of VE/kg supplemented with Gln (for the first 7 d of life) provided better development of the intestinal mucosa in broiler chickens.

Supplementation of Avizyme 1502 to corn-soybean meal-wheat diets fed to turkey tom poults: the first fifty-six days of age.

A study was designed to determine the effects of enzyme supplementation on poults fed commercially based diets that included corn, soybean meal, and ground wheat with meat and bone meal (0 to 21 d) or Pro-Pak (22 to 56 d). Day-old turkey poults (n = 3,850) were divided into 35 pens and fed 1 of 5 dietary treatments for 56 d. Treatments were a positive control, a negative control (corn matrix adjustment of 140 kcal), and negative control diets supplemented with Avizyme 1502 at 250, 500, or 750 g/tonne. Feed intake, live weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and mortality were measured for the periods 0 to 21 d, 21 to 42 d, and 42 to 56 d, as well as for the cumulative 0 to 56 d. The 0- to 21-d period was further divided into subperiods (0 to 4 d, 4 to 8 d, 8 to 12 d, 12 to 16 d, 16 to 21 d) to evaluate early nutritional development. Ileal contents along with duodenal, jejunal, and ileal sections (n = 7/treatment) were sampled to determine apparent digestibility and morphology. In most instances, production response differences between the positive and negative controls were not significant, making definitive interpretation of enzyme addition difficult. Energy and protein ileal digestibilities of the negative control diets were lower than those of the positive control diet at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 42 d. Enzyme supplementation significantly improved energy and protein beyond that of the PC diet on d 42. Villus height and crypt depth did not respond to dietary treatment, although there was a significant interaction of age by treatment on jejunal villus height. The similarity between the controls, as well as the high inclusion of CuSO(4), may be responsible for the low response with enzyme inclusion.

Effects of copper source and level on intestinal physiology and growth of broiler chickens.

Dietary copper sulfate (CuSO4) and tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) were examined for their effects on intestinal physiology and growth of broiler chickens. In 2 experiments (Experiments 1 and 2), day-old broiler chicks were fed 1 of 4 diets: a basal diet with no supplemental copper (Cu; negative control), a basal diet + 188 mg of Cu/kg of diet from TBCC or CuSO4, or a basal diet + subtherapeutic antibiotics (bacitracin and roxarsone; positive control). In Experiment 1 (recycled litter), CuSO4 and TBCC increased carcass weight (d 45 posthatch) compared with the negative control (P < 0.05 for each). In Experiment 2 (fresh litter), negative control and TBCC increased carcass weight (d 42 posthatch) compared with the positive control (P < 0.05 for each). At d 30 to 31 posthatch, intestinal histology was measured. In Experiment 1 (recycled litter), dietary TBCC, CuSO4, and positive control decreased the number of lamina propia lymphocytes or intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), or both, compared with the negative control (P < 0.05). However, in Experiment 2 (fresh litter), TBCC and positive control increased the number of duodenum IEL compared with the negative control (P < 0.05), and negative control and TBCC increased the number of ileum IEL. These data demonstrate that broiler performance and intestinal physiology can be influenced by dietary Cu source and level as well as microbial environment (fresh vs. recycled litter).