Improved growth performance due to hypertrophied intestinal absorptive epithelial cells by heat-killed Lactobacillus sakei HS-1 in broiler chickens1.

This study investigated the effect of heat-killed Lactobacillus sakei HS-1 (HK LS HS-1) on the growth performance and intestinal histology of broilers through 2 feeding trials. In trial 1, 48 male broilers were separated into 3 groups: 1) basal diet (1 to 21 d, including antibiotics; 21 to 49 d, not including antibiotics) supplemented with 0 bacterial cells of HK LS HS-1/g (control); 2) 106 bacterial cells were used; and 3) 108 bacterial cells were used. Trial 2 was carried out in a tropical area of Thailand, where 50 7-d-old male broilers were separated into 2 groups: 1) basal diet (control group); and 2) basal diet supplemented with 107 bacterial cells of HK LS HS-1/g. In trial 1, compared with the control, BW gain (linear; P = 0.019) and G:F (linear; P = 0.032) linearly increase with increasing HK LS HS-1 supplementation. In addition, 3 males died in the control group, while none died in the experimental group. In trial 2, growth performance was not significantly different between the groups. Observation of the gross anatomical visceral organs and intestinal histological parameters showed no difference among the groups. However, the weight of the ileum, total small intestine, gizzard, and ceca decreased, while the height of the ileal villus increased with increasing HK LS HS-1 supplementation (P < 0.05). On the duodenal villus apical surface, protuberated cells, cells without microvilli, recently exfoliated regions on villus tips, and deeper cells at the sites of these recently exfoliated cells were more frequently observed in the experimental groups compared to the control; therefore, the duodenal epithelial cells of the experimental groups were hypertrophied by rapid cell turnover. On the ileal villus apical surface, morphological changes (i.e., cell shedding) were not observed, but protuberated cells were observed; thus, the ileal epithelial cells of the experimental groups were hypertrophied by prolonging the detention period of cells on the villus tip without shedding into the intestinal lumen. The results indicate that HK LS HS-1 improves the growth performance of broilers due to the presences of hypertrophied intestinal absorptive epithelial cells on the villus apical surface, which induce enhanced durability against environmental stress.