Title |
Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus on the growth performance and intestinal health of broilers challenged with Clostridium perfringens
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Published in |
Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, March 2018
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DOI | 10.1186/s40104-018-0243-3 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Zhui Li, Weiwei Wang, Dan Liu, Yuming Guo |
Abstract |
Clostridium perfringens is the main etiological agent of necrotic enteritis. Lactobacilli show beneficial effects on intestinal health in infectious disease, but the protective functions of lactobacilli inC. perfringens-infected chickens are scarcely described. This study examined the effects ofLactobacillus acidophilus(L. acidophilus) on the growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens challenged withClostridium perfringens(C. perfringens) over a 28-day period. Using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, a total of 308 1-day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were included to investigate the effects ofLactobacillus acidophilus(L. acidophilus) on the growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens challenged withClostridium perfringens(C. perfringens) during a 28-day trial. During infection (d 14-21),C. perfringenschallenge decreased the average daily gain (P < 0.05), and increased feed conversion ratio and the mortality rate (P < 0.05). However, dietary supplementation withL. acidophilusincreased the body weight ofC. perfringens-infected broilers on d 21 (P < 0.05), and tended to decrease the mortality (P = 0.061).C. perfringenschallenge decreased the villus height (P < 0.05), the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (P < 0.05) andOCLN(occludin) mRNA expression (P < 0.05), and increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the spleen and jejunum, the intestinal populations ofC. perfringensandEscherichia(P < 0.05), and the serum content of endotoxin (P < 0.05), regardless ofL. acidophilussupplementation. In contrast, dietaryL. acidophilusreducedthe intestinal lesion score of challenged broilers (P < 0.05), the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, ileal populations ofEscherichiaand serum endotoxin content (P < 0.05), but increased the intestinalLactobacilluspopulations (P < 0.05), irrespective ofC. perfringenschallenge. Dietary addition ofL. acidophiluscould improve the intestinal health and reduce the mortality of broilers suffering from necrotic enteritis. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 95 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 11 | 12% |
Student > Master | 10 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 8 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 8 | 8% |
Researcher | 5 | 5% |
Other | 10 | 11% |
Unknown | 43 | 45% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 21 | 22% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 7 | 7% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 7 | 7% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 2 | 2% |
Sports and Recreations | 2 | 2% |
Other | 9 | 9% |
Unknown | 47 | 49% |