Influence of Eimeria spp. infection and dietary inclusion of arginine on intestine histological parameters, serum amino acid profile and ileal amino acids digestibility in broiler chicks.

Coccidiosis is considered to be one of the most important challenge in the poultry industry causes economic losses due to the destruction in the digestive tract of chicken. It disturbs amino acids profile and their digestibility, leading to weight lost and economic burden. Using dietary arginine may decrease the adverse effects of coccidiosis on chicken digestive tract. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of arginine on intestine histological parameters, serum amino acid concentration and ileal amino acid digestibility of broiler chicks infected with coccidiosis. A total number of 384 one-d-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) of mixed sex with initial weight of 42 ±â€¯2 g was allocated into 8 groups with 8 birds/pen from grower period. At 21 days of age, broiler chicks were infected with a mixture of Eimeria spp. Broiler chicks were divided into infected and un-infected groups and received arginine at recommended levels of 85, 100, 125 and 150 %. Intestinal morphology and lesions, serum amino acid concentration and ileal amino acid digestibility were evaluated. Broiler chicks infected with Eimeria spp. showed lower villus height and villus height: crypt depth ratio and also higher intestinal lesions (P < 0.05). Coccidia infection decreased the ileal amino acid digestibility for all studied amino acids and also reduced serum concentrations of amino acids, except lysine and isoleucine (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of arginine especially in higher levels significantly increased villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratio and decreased lesions (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary supplementing of arginine increased the serum concentration of arginine (P < 0.05), but it did not have any significant effect on its digestibility (P > 0.05). In sum, coccidiosis decreases amino acid digestibility and serum amino acid concentration, but dietary inclusion of higher levels of arginine significantly improved histological parameters of broiler chicks infected with coccidiosis.

Effects of salinomycin and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance and immune responses in broiler chickens.

The present study was undertaken to compare the effect of salinomycin and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, serum antibody levels against Clostridium spp. and Eimeria spp., and cytokine mRNA expression levels in broiler chickens raised in the used litter. Broiler chickens fed a diet containing salinomycin showed lower (P < 0.05) body weights compared with the control diet-fed counterparts. Serum nitric oxide levels were significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in chickens fed the B. subtilis-enriched diet compared with those on either the salinomycin-fed or control diet-fed chickens. None of the dietary treatments affected (P > 0.05) serum antibody levels against Clostridium perfringens toxins. Both salinomycin and B.subtilis significantly lowered (P < 0.05) the serum levels of Eimeria-specific antibodies compared with the control group. Salinomycin, but not B. subtilis, significantly modulated (P < 0.05) the expression of cytokines encoding interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor superfamily 15 (TNFSF15) compared with the control group. In conclusion, dietary salinomycin and B. subtilis affected serum anticoccidial antibody and intestinal cytokine expression, but failed to improve growth performance in broiler chickens. Further study is warranted to investigate the mode of action of salinomycin on host immune response and growth performance in broiler chickens.

Changes in weight gain, faecal oocyst count and packed cell volume of Eimeria tenella-infected broilers treated with a wild mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) aqueous extract.

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of a wild Ganoderma lucidum aqueous extract in coccidian-infected broilers. At 6 weeks of age the birds were randomly allocated to 6 treatment groups of 20 Ross broilers each in wire cages. Groups A, B and C were infected with Eimeria tenella Houghton strain at the rate of 36 250 sporulated oocysts/ml per bird. The remaining 3 groups D, E and F were uninfected controls. At 7 weeks the birds in group A were treated with G. lucidum aqueous extract and those in B with amprolium in drinking water ad libitum at the rate of 200 mg/ml each for 7 days consecutively. Body weight gain, feed intake, faecal oocyst output and some haematological parameters were monitored. The result showed that all the infected birds in groups A, B and C had clinical signs of weakness and reduced appetite on day 4 post-infection. By the 5th day post-infection their faeces became bloody and watery, and large numbers of E. tenella oocysts were present in the faeces. On day 3 after treatment the oocysts detected were considerably reduced in both treated groups A and B and slightly higher in the untreated group C. The faeces of the uninfected control groups were normal and free of coccidial oocysts. After treatment for 7 days no coccidial oocysts were found in faeces of the birds that had been treated. Infected, untreated birds showed a slight drop in feed intake and weight gain from 7 to 8 weeks of age. The final mean weight gain recorded in the treated groups A and B was comparable to that of the uninfected birds in the 3 control groups, while it was lower in the untreated group C. The feed to gain ratio was higher in C than in the other groups. A slight drop in packed cell volume was observed in groups A, B and C at 7 weeks of age, 1 week after infection. This study showed that treatment with G. lucidum results in a marked reduction in the number of E. tenella oocysts shed in the faeces, leading to improved weight gain and decreased weight loss. The results confirmed the virulence of the Houghton strain of E. tenella and the effectiveness of both amprolium and G. lucidum extract against E. tenella.

Effect of dietary zinc level on serum carotenoid levels, body and shank pigmentation of chickens after experimental infection with coccidia.

Two experiments were conducted to test the effects of a dietary zinc amino acid complex (Zn-AA) and an anticoccidial drug on Eimeria acervulina or Eimeria tenella infections. In each experiment, 288 day-old Three-Yellow-Chickens were used in a 2 x 3 factorial experimental design. Six groups were arranged randomly to receive three levels of Zn-AA (0, 40, or 80 mg/kg) alone or with salinomycin (60 mg/kg). Additionally an uninfected group was set as negative control. At the age of 21 days birds in Exp. 1 were inoculated with 3 x 10(4) sporulated E. acervulina oocysts, while birds in Exp. 2 were inoculated with 1.5 x 10(4) sporulated E. tenella oocysts. In Exp. 1, E. acervulina did not suppress growth performance significantly, but in groups without salinomycin it significantly reduced serum carotenoid levels on day 7 after inoculation and body and shank pigmentation on day 42. Salinomycin medication maintained serum carotenoids and visual colour of inoculated birds, but Zn-AA did not influence these parameters. In Exp. 2, growth performances of infected and uninfected chickens were similar. Infection decreased to only serum carotenoid levels on day 14 after infection, and colour scores on day 42 in the inoculated group without salinomycin and Zn-AA supplementation. The birds that received Zn-AA had significantly higher serum carotenoid levels and colour scores than those that did not. Although supplementation of Zn-AA cannot avoid coccidial damage of caecum, it prevents the reduction of serum carotenoids and pigmentation of Three-Yellow-Chicken infected with E. tenella, but not after infection with E. avervulina. The interactive effects between Zn-AA and salinomycin on growth performance and pigmentation were not significant.

Dietary betaine accumulates in the liver and intestinal tissue and stabilizes the intestinal epithelial structure in healthy and coccidia-infected broiler chicks.

The aim of this experiment was to study the patterns of betaine accumulation into intestinal tissue, liver and plasma of broiler chicks with or without coccidial infection. The chicks were raised on a corn-based, low-betaine diet with or without 1000 ppm betaine supplementation and with or without intestinal microparasite (Eimeria maxima) challenge to the age of 21 days. Plasma, liver, intestinal tissue and digesta of non-challenged (NC) birds and plasma and intestinal tissue of coccidiosis challenged (CC) birds were analysed for betaine content. NC birds were also analyzed for homocysteine in plasma and S-adenosylmethionine (S-AM) in liver. The jejunal epithelium was histologically examined for the presence of coccidia and the crypt-villus ratio was measured. Dietary betaine supplementation decreased the plasma homocysteine concentration but had no effect on liver S-AM of NC birds. The data suggest that chicks on a low-betaine diet accumulate betaine into the intestinal tissue. When the diet was supplemented with betaine, betaine accumulated heavily into liver and to a lesser degree into intestinal tissue. The concentration of betaine in jejunal and ileal digesta was low suggesting that dietary betaine was mainly absorbed from the proximal small intestine. The coccidial challenge decreased the concentration of betaine in the liver, but greatly increased that in the intestinal tissue. The crypt-villus ratio was decreased by the dietary betaine supplementation in healthy and challenged chicks, suggesting that dietary betaine both protects the jejunal villi against coccidial infection and also stabilizes the mucosal structure in healthy broiler chicks. These results support our earlier findings suggesting that betaine is likely to act as an important intestinal osmolyte in broiler chicks.

Interaction of dietary flaxseed with coccidia infections in chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to determine effects of diets containing n-3 fatty acids (n-3FA) from whole as well as ground flaxseed on the performance of broilers during coccidia infections. Diets were fed from 1 d of age through 3 wk of age. Chickens were infected with coccidia at 2 wk of age and the effects of infection assessed at 6 d postinfection. The first experiment contrasted effects of several high n-3FA-containing diets, including one supplemented with whole flaxseed, on infections with Eimeria tenella or Eimeria maxima. Infected chickens that consumed the flaxseed-supplemented diet had the lowest weight gains, but they were not significantly different from gains of infected chickens on the control diet. Diets supplemented with 5% menhaden oil or 15% flaxseed significantly reduced lesions caused by E. tenella, but had no effect on lesions caused by E. maxima. In a second experiment, diets supplemented with 5 or 10% ground flaxseed were assessed for effects on the performance of broilers infected with three dose levels (500, 5,000, or 50,000 oocysts) of E. maxima. Neither flaxseed diet protected weight gain during infection with 50,000 oocysts. However, a 5% flax diet protected weight gains in chickens infected with 500 or 5,000 oocysts. Diets supplemented with 5 or 10% ground flaxseed exacerbated lesions in chickens infected with 5,000 or 50,000 E. maxima oocysts compared to the control diet. Thus, diets containing high amounts of n-3 fatty acids do not affect the development of all Eimeria sp. in the same manner. The oxidative stress produced by these diets may more adversely affect development of E. tenella, which infects the relatively oxygen-poor ceca, whereas it does not affect development of E. maxima which parasitizes the middle portion of the small intestine.

Interactive effects of dietary copper, water copper, and Eimeria spp. infection on growth, water intake, and plasma and liver copper concentrations of poults.

The effects of dietary Cu, water Cu, and coccidial infection on poult growth performance and selected tissue mineral concentrations were investigated in a 10-d experiment using 200 5-d-old Nicholas toms (five replicates of 5 poults each; initial weight = 85 g). Uninfected and coccidiosis-infected (Eimeria meleagrimitis, Eimeria dispersa, Eimeria adenoeides, and Eimeria gallopavonis; cocci) poults were assigned to two levels of dietary Cu [Basal (B) and B + 204 mg Cu/kg diet on Days 1 to 10] and two levels of water Cu (0 and 103 mg Cu/kg water on Days 6 to 10). Dietary Cu and water Cu (main effects) did not affect (P > .10) gain, feed intake, gain:feed, water intake, hemoglobin, hematocrit, or liver Fe and Zn concentrations. Dietary Cu and water Cu increased (P < .03) liver and plasma Cu concentrations. The combination of dietary Cu and water Cu increased plasma Cu more than the sum of the Cu additions (dietary Cu by water Cu, P < .08). Coccidial infection reduced (P < .07) gain, feed intake, gain:feed, water intake, and hemoglobin, and increased (P < .02) liver Zn. Water Cu reduced water intake in uninfected poults but increased water intake in coccidiosis-infected poults (water Cu by cocci, P < .07). Water Cu increased hemoglobin in uninfected poults but decreased hemoglobin in coccidiosis-infected poults (water Cu by cocci, P < .07). Water Cu increased plasma Cu and liver Cu more in coccidiosis-infected poults than in uninfected poults (water Cu by cocci, P < .02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pathogenicity of the coccidium Eimeria crandallis in laboratory lambs.

Ten colostrum-deprived, coccidia-free lambs were reared artificially in indoor cages. At 4 weeks of age they were allocated to 5 groups of 2: Groups 1-3 received 10(4), 10(5) and 10(6) sporulated oocysts of Eimeria crandallis/lamb respectively, each as a single inoculum. Group 4 lambs received daily doses increasing over a 4-week period. Groups 1-3 showed diarrhoea and weight loss from about day 14, followed by slow recovery from about day 30. The diarrhoea was accompanied by a wave of oocyst output and a reduction in serum albumin and plasma alkaline phosphatase activity. One lamb in group 4 died of an unrelated condition on day 15; the other showed no clinical effect of the oocyst inoculations and its oocyst output was related only to the first week or two of inoculation. Lambs in Group 1 showed no clinical effect or oocyst output following challenge with 10(6) oocysts on day 28. E. crandallis showed high pathogenicity and immunogenicity. Its pathogenicity was not closely related to infecting dose within the range 10(4)-10(6).

Effect of selenium on peripheral blood leucocytes of chickens infected with Eimeria.

Experiments were conducted to study the effects of dietary selenium (Se) on peripheral blood leucocytes of chickens infected with coccidia. Primary coccidial infection significantly increased blood leucocyte number at 6 days postinfection (PI) in three of four experiments when chicks were fed a corn-soy diet, and in all four experiments at 11 days PI. When chickens were fed a semipurified (SP) diet, coccidial infection did not affect the blood leucocytes number at 6 days PI but significantly increased blood leucocyte number at 11 days PI. In the primary infection, Se significantly decreased blood leucocyte number in four of six experiments at 6 days PI and significantly increased the blood leucocyte number in three of five experiments at 11 days PI. In the secondary infection, chickens had significantly more blood leucocytes than chickens given a primary infection at 8 or 24 hr after challenge. Selenium significantly increased blood leucocyte number at 8 hr after challenge in one experiment and produced numerically higher leucocyte number in three other experiments. The results of these studies indicate that dietary Se supplementation modifies the number of peripheral blood leucocytes in chickens infected with coccidia.

[Indices of blood lipid metabolism in chicks infested with a large dose of Eimeria tenella oocysts]. / Nekotorye pokazateli lipidnogo obmena krovi pri zarazhenii tsypliat bol'shoi dozoi ootsist Eimeria tenella.

20-, 40- and 60-day old chicks were infected with E. tenella (100000 oocysts). The nature of changes in cholesterol, general fat and lecithin of chicks' blood is the same as at the infection with a small dose (5000) of oocysts of E. tenella. Changes in the lipoid components differ only quantitatively: they are greater at the infection with a greater dose of oocysts that at the infection with a small one.