Sodium butyrate improved performance while modulating the cecal microbiota and regulating the expression of intestinal immune-related genes of broiler chickens.

This study evaluated the effect of sodium butyrate (SB) on performance, expression of immune-related genes in the cecal tonsils, and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens when dietary energy and amino acids concentrations were reduced. Day-old male Ross 708 broiler chicks were fed dietary treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial design (8 pens per treatment) with 3 dietary formulations (control diet; reduction of 2.3% of amino acids and 60 kcal/kg; and reduction of 4.6% of amino acids and 120 kcal/kg) with or without the inclusion of 0.1% of SB. Feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BW gain), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded until 28 d of age. From 14 to 28 d, there was an interaction of nutrient density by SB (P = 0.003) wherein BW gain of birds fed SB was impaired less by the energy/amino acids reduction than unsupplemented birds. A similar result was obtained from 1 to 28 d (P = 0.004). No interaction (P < 0.05) between nutrient density by SB was observed for FCR. Nutritional density of the diets and SB modified the structure, composition, and predicted function of the cecal microbiota. The nutritionally reduced diet altered the imputed function performed by the microbiota and the SB supplementation reduced these variations, keeping the microbial function similar to that observed in chickens fed a control diet. The frequency of bacterial species presenting the butyryl-CoA: acetate CoA-transferase gene increased in the microbiota of chickens fed a nutritionally reduced diet without SB supplementation, and was not changed by nutrient density of the diet when supplemented with SB (interaction; P = 0.01). SB modulated the expression of immune related genes in the cecal tonsils; wherein SB upregulated the expression of A20 in broilers fed control diets (P < 0.05) and increased IL-6 expression (P < 0.05). These results show that SB had positive effects on the productive performance of broilers fed nutritionally reduced diets, partially by modulating the cecal microbiota and exerting immune-modulatory effects.

Caecal microbiota of chickens fed diets containing propolis.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) and raw propolis (RP) on broiler performance and on selected bacterial groups in caecal microbiota using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) measured by fluorescent activated cell sorting. Two experiments were conducted with 120 male chicks from 1 to 21 days of age for each, raised in cages and distributed in a completely randomized experimental design; there were five replicates with four birds per experimental unit and six treatments for each experiment (trial 1 - EEP - 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 ppm and trial 2 - RP - 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm). Fluorescent probes were used against the bacterial groups in caecal samples collected at 21 days of age. The data were subjected to one-way anova followed by Tukey's and regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between dietary levels of EEP or RP on performance and intestinal microbiota (p < 0.05). In the trial 1, results showed that the EEP did not cause any significant (p > 0.05) modification in the performance and caecal microbiota. In the trial 2, RP inclusion did not affect the performance but changed the bacterial composition (p < 0.05). Clostridiaceae, Gammaproteobacteria excluding Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus spp. showed a quadratic response (p < 0.05), with the lowest value predicted to occur at 240 ppm, 221 ppm and 213 ppm of RP respectively. The proportion of Bacteroidaceae and Gammaproteobacteria did not differ (p > 0.05) among the experimental groups. The inclusion of ethanolic extract of propolis did not affect the performance and intestinal microbiota, whereas the supplementation of raw propolis modulates the caecal microbiota composition without any effects on chicken performance.

Can Bacteriotherapy Using Commercially Available Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Organic Acids Ameliorate the Symptoms Associated With Runting-Stunting Syndrome in Broiler Chickens?

Runting-stunting syndrome (RSS) in poultry has been known for more than 40 years, but the precise etiology remains unknown and a licensed vaccine is consequently not currently available. In order to mitigate the symptoms associated with RSS, a series of experiments was performed to investigate whether a combined bacteriotherapeutic treatment consisting of probiotics, prebiotics, and organic acids could influence the outcome of this disease. Initially two groups of commercial broiler chickens were either left uninoculated or inoculated with filtrate from homogenized intestines of RSS-affected broiler chickens. One group from each of these two challenge groups was treated, with a bacteriotherapeutic regimen. After 12 days chickens were euthanatized, the body weight was measured, and duodenal lesions were enumerated. Five consecutive broiler chicken flocks were then raised either on litter from RSS-affected birds or on fresh wood shavings. Treatment had no beneficial effect on the number and severity of intestinal lesions. There appeared to be a significant build-up of RSS agent(s) in poultry litter, with each consecutive flock placement, independent of bacteriotherapeutic treatment, as more individuals exhibited intestinal lesions on built-up litter in RSS-affected houses (28.9% vs. 44%). While treatment did not appear to consistently reduce intestinal lesions, it did significantly improve the mean body weights (P<0.05) and uniformity of 12-day-old chickens placed on reused litter in houses in which RSS-infected birds were previously raised. A combination of litter management and bacteriotherapy may be needed to ameliorate the adverse effects of RSS on intestinal health and body weight in broiler chickens.

Antiparasitic efficacy of a novel plant-based functional food using an Ascaris suum model in pigs.

Ascaris lumbricoides is the most prevalent soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection of human beings worldwide. Chemotherapy with synthetic anthelmintics such as albendazole, mebendazole, and pyrantel pamoate is the current method of treatment; however, the emergence of anthelmintic resistance could substantially decrease the efficacy of such treatments and the sustainability of STH control programs. Additionally, benzimidazoles are not recommended for pregnant women or children under age one. A blinded, controlled study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of two microencapsulated, plant-based essential oil blends, TTN1013 (α-pinene, linalyl acetate, p-cymene, and thymol octanoate) and TTN1014 (α-pinene, linalyl acetate, p-cymene, and thymol acetate) as functional foods against Ascaris suum infection in pigs, an important pathogen that closely resembles human infections with A. lumbricoides. Four groups of 16 female, 21-24 day old, Yorkshire-cross pigs were treated daily with 0.5 or 1.0mg/kg TTN1013, 1.0mg/kg TTN1014, or 1.0mg/kg equivalent of empty capsules, delivered inside a cream-filled sandwich cookie for 14 weeks. Three days after the initiation of daily treatments, pigs were inoculated daily with A. suum eggs for four weeks. Pigs were weighed weekly and fecal egg counts (FEC) were conducted weekly starting five weeks after initial inoculation with A. suum eggs. Fourteen weeks after first infection with eggs, pigs were necropsied and worms were recovered, counted and separated according to sex. TTN1013 administered daily at a dose of 1.0mg/kg yielded a statistically significant reduction in total worm counts (76.8%), female worm counts (75.5%), FEC (68.6%), and worm volume (62.9%) when compared to control group. Reduction of total and female worm numbers and FEC were not significant for TTN1014 or at the 0.5mg/kg dose of TTN1013. All treatments were well-tolerated by all pigs and did not cause any adverse reactions. All pigs remained clinically normal and showed no signs of reduced intestinal health for the duration of treatment. Based on these results, TTN1013 shows promise as a daily supplement to reduce infection burdens of soil transmitted helminths in both pigs and human beings.

Infecção experimental de embriões de frango de corte com Salmonella enterica sorovar Enteritidis fagotipo 4 / Experimental infection of broiler embryos with Salmonella enterica sorovar Enteritidis phagotype 4

Avaliou-se a infecção experimental por Salmonella Enteritidis fagotipo 4 (SEpt4) em embriões de frango de corte para averiguar a habilidade de penetração através da casca e o efeito da inoculação no albúmen, considerando-se a mortalidade, a eclodibilidade e a colonização intestinal dos pintos eclodidos. Foram realizados dois experimentos, distribuídos em quatro tratamentos (T) cada, com 200 e 194 ovos incubáveis das linhagens Ross e ISA Label, respectivamente. Utilizaram-se ovos não sanitizados e inoculados na casca com Salmonella Enteritidis (T1) ou com placebo (T2); ou inoculados no albúmen com Salmonella Enteritidis (T3) ou com placebo (T4). Imediatamente após a inoculação, os ovos foram incubados, e a mortalidade embrionária avaliada após 96, 432 e 528 horas. Salmonella Enteritidis inoculada na casca manteve-se viável na casca e nas membranas durante todo o período de incubação e migrou para o interior dos ovos, entretanto não afetou os parâmetros de incubação. O patógeno inoculado no albúmen determinou mortalidade embrionária tardia nas linhagens Ross, 17,0 por cento, e ISA Label, 13,0 por cento, e originou pintos com maior freqüência de colonização intestinal por Salmonella Enteritidis, 76,7 por cento e 26,7 por cento para Ross e ISA Label, respectivamente.

The experimental infection of Salmonella Enteritidis phagotype 4 (SEpt4) was evaluated in broilers embryos to verify the ability of penetration through eggshell and the effect of albumen inoculation considering embryo mortality, hatchability, and intestinal colonization of hatched chicks. Two trials were conducted using in four treatments each, totaling 200 and 194 fertile eggs of Ross and ISA Label lineages, respectively. Non-sanitized eggs were inoculated on the shell with Salmonella Enteritidis (Treatment 1) or placebo (Treatment 2); and eggs were inoculated in albumen with Salmonella Enteritidis (Treatment 3) or placebo (Treatment 4). Immediately after inoculation, the eggs were incubated and embryo mortality was evaluated after 96, 432, and 528 hours. The results showed that Salmonella Enteritidis inoculated on egg shell remained active there and in shell membranes during all incubation period and migrated to the interior of the eggs; however, it did not affect the incubation parameters. It was observed that Salmonella Enteritidis inoculated in albumen caused late embryo mortality in Ross (17.0 percent) and ISA Label (13.0 percent) lineages, and originated chicks with high frequency of intestinal colonization by Salmonella Enteritidis, being 76.7 percent and 26.7 percent for Ross and ISA Label, respectively.

Intestinal bacterial community and growth performance of chickens fed diets containing antibiotics.

This study was conducted to relate the performance of broiler chickens fed diets containing growth-promoting antibiotics to changes in the intestinal microbiota. The technique of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amplicons of the region V3 of 16S rDNA was used to characterize the microbiota. Two experiments were conducted, one with broilers raised in battery cages and the other with broilers raised in floor pens. Antibiotics improved the performance of the chickens raised in floor pens only. Avilamycin, bacitracin methylene disalicylate, and enramycin induced changes in the composition of the intestinal bacterial community of the birds in both experiments. The number of bacterial genotypes found in the intestinal tract of chickens was not reduced by the antibiotics supplemented in either environment. However, the changes in the composition of the intestinal bacterial community induced by antibiotics may be related to improvement in growth performance. This was indicated by the suppression of 6 amplicons and the presence of 4 amplicons exclusive to the treatment that had the best performance in the floor pen experiment.

[Intracranial chondrosarcoma: report of a case]. / Condrossarcoma intracraniano: relato de um caso.

A case of intracranial chondrosarcoma is reported. Its diagnosis can be suspected through the findings of a paraselar avascular tumor, sometimes with in specific calcifications, visualized as a isodense and contrast-enhancing mass by computed tomography, as observed in the case. Differential diagnosis may be difficult with chondromas and meningiomas. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice, with good results.