Yueping Chen1,2, Chao Wen1, Yanmin Zhou1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China. 2. Postdoctoral Research Station of Food Science and Engineering, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, PR China.
Abstract
BACKGROUD: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary synbiotic supplementation as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance, intestinal morphology, immunity and oxidative status of broilers. One-day-old male chicks were allocated to three treatments and given a basal diet free from antibiotic (Control group) and a basal diet supplemented with either chlortetracycline or synbiotic for 42 days, respectively. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the supplementation of synbiotic increased the average daily gain and gain:feed ratio of broilers from 22 to 42 days and 1 to 42 days of age, as well as the relative weight of the thymus and the secretory immunoglobulin A level in the jejunum and ileum at 42 days of age, with the values of these parameters being similar to the antibiotic group. Dietary synbiotic inclusion promoted the ratio of ileal villus height to crypt depth of broilers at 21 days of age. The supplementation of synbiotic also reduced the ileal malondialdehyde accumulation of broilers at 42 days of age to a level comparable with that of the antibiotic group. CONCLUSION: Dietary synbiotic supplementation as an alternative to antibiotic could exert beneficial consequences on growth performance, intestinal morphology, immunity and the antioxidant capacity of broilers.
BACKGROUD: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary synbiotic supplementation as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance, intestinal morphology, immunity and oxidative status of broilers. One-day-old male chicks were allocated to three treatments and given a basal diet free from antibiotic (Control group) and a basal diet supplemented with either chlortetracycline or synbiotic for 42 days, respectively. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the supplementation of synbiotic increased the average daily gain and gain:feed ratio of broilers from 22 to 42 days and 1 to 42 days of age, as well as the relative weight of the thymus and the secretory immunoglobulin A level in the jejunum and ileum at 42 days of age, with the values of these parameters being similar to the antibiotic group. Dietary synbiotic inclusion promoted the ratio of ileal villus height to crypt depth of broilers at 21 days of age. The supplementation of synbiotic also reduced the ileal malondialdehyde accumulation of broilers at 42 days of age to a level comparable with that of the antibiotic group. CONCLUSION: Dietary synbiotic supplementation as an alternative to antibiotic could exert beneficial consequences on growth performance, intestinal morphology, immunity and the antioxidant capacity of broilers.