Effect of a synbiotic supplement as an antibiotic alternative on broiler skeletal, physiological, and oxidative parameters under heat stress

Changes in Core Temperature of Cyan-Shank Partridge Chickens Exposed to Continuously Increased Ambient Temperature at Different Relative Humidity Levels

(1) Background: This study aimed to investigate the changes in core temperature of Cyan-shank partridge chickens with continuously increased ambient temperature at different relative humidity (RH) levels. (2) Methods: Thirty birds were selected at the age of 35 days and randomly divided and housed in three artificial climate chambers. Each chamber was set at one of three different RH levels (50%, 65%, and 80%), and the ambient temperature was increased by 1.0 °C per 0.5 h from 24.0 to 34.0 °C. The core temperature was tested at 1.0 h intervals, and the ambient temperature in the chambers was recorded using mini temperature data loggers. Data were collected continuously for three days at the ages of 35, 42, and 49 days. The broken-line model (BLM) was used to calculate the inflection point temperature (IPT) and basal core temperature (constant). (3) Results: Both RH and age had no significant influence on the IPT. With increasing ambient temperature, the average IPT values of birds measured at the three ages were 26.52, 27.02, and 26.71 °C at the RH levels of 50%, 65%, and 80%, respectively. A significant downward trend in basal core temperature was observed as the birds aged from 35 to 42 days (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: the core temperature of the chicken gradually decreased as the age increased. During the hot summer months, it is better to keep the ambient temperature less than 26.5 °C to avoid the excessive increase in core temperature in Cyan-shank partridge chicken at the ages from 35 to 49 days.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Regulates the Keap1/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway to Improve the Intestinal (Caco-2 Cells and Chicken Jejunum) Oxidative Stress Response Induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

This article aims to investigate the mechanism by which Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alleviates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal oxidative stress. The study involved two experimental subjects: human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells and Arbor Acres broiler chickens. The experiment involving two samples was designed with the same treatment groups, specifically the control (CK) group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (JF) group, and JF+LPS group. In the Caco-2 experiment, we administered 2 μg/mL of LPS and 1 × 106 CFU/mL of JF to the LPS and JF groups, respectively. In the broiler experiment, the LPS group (19-21 d) received an abdominal injection of 0.5 mg/kg BW of LPS, whereas the JF group was fed 1 × 107 CFU/g of JF throughout the entire duration of the experiment (1-21 d). The results indicated the following: (1) JF significantly decreased the DPPH free radical clearance rate and hydrogen peroxide levels (p < 0.05). (2) JF significantly enhanced the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) activity in Caco-2 cells (p < 0.05), while concurrently reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p < 0.05). (3) Compared to the CK group, JF significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), SOD, catalase (CAT), GSH-Px, interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), Claudin, Occludin1, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and mucin 2 (MUC2) in Caco-2 cells (p < 0.05), while concurrently reducing the mRNA expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) (p < 0.05). In comparison to the LPS group, the JF+LPS group demonstrated a significant increase in the mRNA expression of Nrf2, SOD, GSH-Px, and IL-4, as well as Occludin1, ZO-1, and MUC2 in Caco-2 cells (p < 0.05), alongside a decrease in the mRNA expression of Keap1, TNF-α, and IL-1β (p < 0.05). (4) In broiler chickens, the JF group significantly elevated the levels of T-AOC, CAT, and GSH-Px in the jejunum while reducing MDA content (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the CAT level in the JF+LPS group was significantly higher than that observed in the LPS group, and the levels of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). (5) In comparison to the CK group, the JF group exhibited a significant increase in Nrf2 levels in the jejunum of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). Notably, the mRNA expression levels of IL-4, IL-10, Claudin, Occludin1, ZO-1, and MUC2 were reduced (p < 0.05), while the mRNA expression levels of Keap1, TNF-α, and IL-1β also showed a decrease (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of Nrf2, Occludin1, ZO-1, and MUC2 in the JF+LPS group were significantly elevated compared to those in the LPS group (p < 0.05), whereas the mRNA expression levels of Keap1 and TNF-α were significantly diminished (p < 0.05). In summary, JF can enhance the intestinal oxidative stress response, improve antioxidant capacity and intestinal barrier function, and decrease the expression of inflammatory factors by regulating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Embryonic thermal manipulation and post-hatch dietary guanidinoacetic acid supplementation alleviated chronic heat stress impact on broiler chickens

The study investigated the effects of embryonic thermal manipulation (TM) and post-hatch guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation on male broiler chickens exposed to chronic heat stress (HS). Ross 308 eggs (n = 710) were randomly assigned to control (37.8 °C, 56% RH) or TM (39.5 °C, 65% RH for 12 h/day from embryonic day 7-16) treatments. After hatching, chicks were further assigned to four dietary treatments (n = 12 birds/pen, 5 replicates/treatment): control, control with 1.2 g/kg GAA supplementation (CS), TM, and TM with 1.2 g/kg GAA supplementation (TMS). All birds were subjected to chronic HS (32-36 °C and 55% RH for 6 h/day) from day 28-42. Embryonic TM treatment decreased hatchability, hatching weight (HW), and facial temperature (FT). During the pre-HS period (days 1-28), no significant differences in feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were observed, although the TM group exhibited the lowest body weight gain (BWG). Following HS exposure (days 29-42), the TMS group displayed significantly higher BWG than the control and CS groups. The TM and TMS groups also demonstrated significantly lower FCR and mortality rates during this period. Across the entire period (days 1-42), BWG was significantly higher in the TMS group compared to other groups. Furthermore, TM and TMS treatments were associated with lower mortality rates, improved FCR, better European Performance Efficiency Index (EPEI), and reduced abdominal fat deposition. The experimental treatments did not significantly affect intestinal morphology or most blood parameters, except triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and uric acid. Plasma concentrations of T3, T4, and uric acid were significantly lower in the TM and TMS groups compared to the control and CS treatments. The findings suggest that a combined strategy of embryonic TM and post-hatch dietary GAA supplementation may not only alleviate the detrimental effects of HS but also promote beneficial physiological responses in broiler chickens.

Evaluating the Impact of the PoultryStar®Bro Probiotic on the Incidence of Bacterial Chondronecrosis with Osteomyelitis Using the Aerosol Transmission Challenge Model

Bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) lameness is a major welfare issue for broiler production worldwide affecting approximately 1.5% of broilers over 42 days old. Excessive body weight gain causes mechanical stress on long bones, leading to micro-fractures. This condition induces a bacterial infection of fractures, resulting in bone necrosis and eventual BCO lameness. Increasing gut integrity and supporting Calcium metabolism contribute to the optimal bone structure and subsequently reduce BCO lameness. Probiotics thus provide an excellent strategy for alleviating BCO due to the improvement of intestinal integrity and barrier function. Accordingly, the present study investigated the lameness reduction through the feed supplementation of a selected probiotic. Broiler chickens were assigned to three treatments, including a control litter group (FL), a PoultryStar®Bro probiotic fed group (BRO), and a control wire-flooring group (CW) designed to induce BCO lameness. The probiotic significantly decreased lameness by 46% compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The most predominant bacteria identified from the BCO lesions were Staphylococcus cohnii and Staphylococcus lentus. Moreover, significant increments of tight junction gene expression in jejunum and ileum, plus numerical improvements of body weight gain (BW; +360 g) and feed conversion ratio (FCR; -12 pts) were observed in BRO-supplemented birds.

Effect of different synbiotic administration methods on growth, carcass characteristics, ileum histomorphometry, and blood biochemistry of Cobb-500 broilers

Background and Aim

To combat enteric infections and antibiotic resistance in the poultry industry, researchers seek alternatives such as probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics as growth promoters. Synbiotics support probiotic growth through the supply of essential nutrients. The study's objectives were to assess the most effective delivery methods for synbiotics and evaluate their growth, histomorphometric, and hematological impacts on Cobb-500 broilers.

Materials and Methods

Two studies, independently conducted, employed a completely randomized design. One hundred and eighty viable eggs in the first trial were assigned to three groups: Control (T1), sterile water (T2), and synbiotic in sterile water (T3). On the 21st day of hatching, hatchability, day-old body weights, and ileum samples for histomorphometric analysis were recorded. In the second trial, out of 500 viable eggs, 200 eggs were fed in ovo with synbiotics (PoultryStar® sol, Biomin Singapore Pte Ltd, Singapore) on 17.5 days and 300 were set aside without in ovo injection. The treatments were control (T1), in water synbiotic (T2), in ovo synbiotic (T3), combination of in ovo synbiotic and synbiotic in feed (T4), and synbiotic in feed only (T5). On 21 and 42 days, blood, ileum, and visceral organ samples were collected for laboratory analysis. Data on weight gain, daily feed intake, and water consumption were recorded for 42 days.

Results

The initial experiment's results revealed a decrease in hatchability, slight weight increase, and significant intestinal morphological changes with the use of an in ovo synbiotic. Applying synbiotic through various methods in the second trial yielded better growth results, lower blood cholesterol, and significantly longer (p < 0.05) villi on 21 days.

Conclusion

Using the in ovo method to administer synbiotics lowered hatchability. Use of synbiotics with any method or in combination enhances growth, ileum structure, dressing yield, feed efficiency, and cholesterol levels in blood. Synbiotics enhance gut health and overall performance in broilers when used through diverse approaches.

Rye-grass-derived probiotics alleviate heat stress effects on broiler growth, health, and gut microbiota

The primary aim of this study was to assess the impact of liquid (S-LAB) and lyophilized (L-LAB) probiotics sourced from Rye-Grass Lactic Acid Bacteria on broilers experiencing heat stress. The study involved 240 broiler chicks divided into six groups. These groups included a negative control (Control) with broilers raised at a normal temperature (24 °C) on a basal diet, and positive control groups (S-LAB and L-LAB) with broilers under normal temperature receiving a lactic acid bacteria supplement (0.5 mL/L) from rye-grass in their drinking water. The heat stress group (HS) comprised broilers exposed to cyclic heat stress (5-7 h per day at 34-36 °C) on a basal diet, while the heat stress and probiotic groups (S-LAB/HS and L-LAB/HS) consisted of broilers under heat stress supplemented with the rye-grass-derived lactic acid bacteria. Results indicated that heat stress without supplementation (HS) led to reduced body weight gain, T3 levels, citrulline, and growth hormone levels, along with an increased feed conversion ratio, serum corticosterone, HSP70, ALT, AST, and leptin levels. Heat stress also negatively impacted cecal microbiota, decreasing lactic acid bacteria (LABC) while increasing E. coli and coliform bacteria (CBC) counts. Probiotic supplements (S-LAB/HS and L-LAB/HS) mitigated these effects by enhancing broilers' resilience to heat stress. In conclusion, rye grass-derived S-LAB and L-LAB probiotics can effectively support broiler chickens under heat stress, promoting growth, liver function, hormonal balance, gut health, and cecal microbiome ecology. These benefits are likely mediated through improved gut health.

Effects of guanidinoacetic acid supplementation on growth performance, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, and immunity of broilers challenged with chronic heat stress

Heat stress can cause systemic immune dysregulation and threaten the health of broilers. Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) has been shown to be effective against heat stress, but whether it is beneficial for immunity is unclear. Therefore, the effects of dietary GAA supplementation on the immunity of chronic heat-stressed broilers were evaluated. A total of 192 Arbor Acres male broilers (28-day old) were randomly allocated to 4 treatments: the normal control group (NC, 22°C, ad libitum feeding), the heat stress group (HS, 32°C, ad libitum feeding), the pair-fed group (PF, kept at 22°C and received food equivalent to that consumed by the HS group on the previous day), and the GAA group (HG, 32°C, ad libitum feeding; basal diet supplemented with 0.6 g/kg GAA). Samples were collected on d 7 and 14 after treatment. Results showed that broilers exposed to heat stress exhibited a decrease (P < 0.05) in ADG, ADFI, thymus and bursa of Fabricius indexes, and an increase (P < 0.05) in feed conversion ratio and panting frequency, compared to the NC group. Levels of corticotropin-releasing factor, corticosterone (CORT), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), IL-6, and TNF-α were elevated (P < 0.05) while lysozyme and IgG concentration was decreased (P < 0.05) in the HS group compared with the NC group after 7 d of heat exposure. The concentrations of IgG and IL-2 were decreased (P < 0.05) and CORT was increased (P < 0.05) in the HS group compared with the NC group after 14 d of heat exposure. Noticeably, GAA supplementation decreased the levels of CORT (P < 0.05) and increased the IL-2, IgG, and IgM concentrations (P < 0.05) compared with the HS group. In conclusion, chronic heat stress increased CORT release, damaged immune organs, and impaired the immunity of broilers. Dietary supplementation of 0.6 g/kg GAA can reduce the CORT level and improve the immune function of broilers under heat stress conditions.

The effect of epigallocatechin gallate on laying performance, egg quality, immune status, antioxidant capacity, and hepatic metabolome of laying ducks reared in high temperature condition

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a main component in green tea extract, which possesses multiple bioactivities. The present research studied the effects of EGCG on the laying performance, egg quality, immune status, antioxidant capacity, and hepatic metabolome of Linwu laying ducks reared under high temperature. A total of 180 42-w-old healthy Linwu laying ducks were allocated into control or EGCG-treated groups. Each treatment had 6 replicates with 15 ducks in each replicate. Diets for the two groups were basal diets supplemented with 0 or 300 mg/kg EGCG, respectively. All ducks were raised in the high temperature condition (35 ± 2 °C for 6 h from 10:00 to 16:00, and 28 ± 2 °C for the other 18 h from 16:00 to 10:00 the next day) for 21 days. Results showed that EGCG increased the egg production rate (p = 0.014) and enhanced the immunocompetence by improving serum levels of immunoglobulin A (p = 0.008) and immunoglobulin G (p = 0.006). EGCG also fortified the antioxidant capacity by activating superoxide dismutase (p = 0.012), catalase (p = 0.009), and glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.021), and increasing the level of heat-shock protein 70 (p = 0.003) in laying ducks' liver. At the same time, hepatic metabolomics result suggested that EGCG increased the concentration of several key metabolites, such as spermidine (p = 0.031), tetramethylenediamine (p = 0.009), hyoscyamine (p = 0.026), β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (p = 0.038), and pantothenic acid (p = 0.010), which were involved in the metabolic pathways of glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, and tropane, piperidine, and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis. In conclusion, 300 mg/kg dietary EGCG showed protection effects on the laying ducks reared in high temperature by improving the immune and antioxidant capacities, which contributed to the increase of laying performance of ducks. The potential mechanism could be that EGCG modulate the synthesis of key metabolites and associated metabolic pathways.

Dietary curcumin supplementation alleviates diquat-induced oxidative stress in the liver of broilers

This study purposed to investigate the alleviating effect of dietary curcumin supplementation on oxidative stress in the liver of broilers induced by diquat. One-day-old Cobb broilers (400) were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups, with 8 replicates and 10 broilers per replicate. The control group and the diquat group were fed the basal diet, while the curcumin supplementation groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with different amounts of curcumin (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg). On d 21 of the test, 1 broiler was randomly selected from each replicate and intraperitoneally injected with 20 mg/mL of diquat solution at a dose of 1 mL/kg BW or equivalent physiological saline (for the control group). After 48 h of feeding, the selected broilers were slaughtered for analysis. The results show that diquat treatment reduced the antioxidant capacity of the liver, caused oxidative stress, and affected its lipid metabolism. However, diet supplementation using curcumin completely or partially reversed the effect of diquat on the liver of broilers. The blood alanine aminotransferase activity, total bilirubin and total protein levels, and liver Caspase-3 mRNA abundance in broilers were lower or significantly lower in the curcumin supplementation group than in the diquat group (P < 0.05). The curcumin supplementation groups had significantly higher total antioxidant capacity activity but significantly lower malondialdehyde in the liver of broilers than the diquat group (P < 0.05). The blood triglyceride level of broilers was lower or significantly lower in the curcumin supplementation groups than in the diquat group (P < 0.05). The activities of cetyl coenzyme A carboxylase in the liver were significantly lower in the 150 mg/kg curcumin supplementation groups than in the DQ group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary curcumin supplementation could ameliorate the effects of diquat-induced oxidative stress on the antioxidant capacity, tissue morphology, and lipid metabolism of the liver of broilers, thus protecting the liver. The recommended dosage for broiler diets is 100 to 150 mg/kg curcumin.

Heat stress and poultry production: a comprehensive review

The impact of global warming on poultry production has gained significant attention over the years. However, our current knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms through which heat stress (HS) resulting from global warming affects the welfare, behavior, immune response, production performance, and even transgenerational effects in poultry are still incomplete. Further research is needed to delve deeper into these mechanisms to gain a comprehensive understanding. Numerous studies have investigated various biomarkers of stress in poultry, aiming to identify reliable markers that can accurately assess the physiological status and well-being of birds. However, there is a significant amount of variation and inconsistency in the results reported across different studies. This inconsistency highlights the need for more standardized methods and assays and a clearer understanding of the factors that influence these biomarkers in poultry. This review article specifically focuses on 3 main aspects: 1) the neuroendocrine and behavioral responses of poultry to HS, 2) the biomarkers of HS and 3) the impact of HS on poultry production that have been studied in poultry. By examining the neuroendocrine and behavioral changes exhibited by poultry under HS, we aim to gain insights into the physiological impact of elevated temperatures in poultry.

Alternative approaches to therapeutics and subtherapeutics for sustainable poultry production

The world population is growing rapidly and thus its demand for food is growing as well. To meet the demand of the ever-increasing number of consumers, the poultry industry and both of its main sectors-conventional and organic/cage-free farming-are expanding in parallel. Due to increasing demand of poultry products and higher mortality rate of chicks (an average 0.3% increase of mortality over last 5 yr), both conventional and organic poultry farming systems struggle with various issues; animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and antibiotic resistance of the prevailing zoonotic/enteric pathogens are common issues for conventional farming whereas slow growth rate, higher costs, inefficient land use, different diseases of the chicken, and cross-contamination with bacterial pathogens into the final products are the major issues for organic poultry farming. On top of these issues, the use of subtherapeutic antibiotics was recently banned in conventional farming systems and by definition the organic farming system cannot use the antibiotics/synthetic chemicals even for therapeutic use. In conventional farming system, use of therapeutic antibiotics may result in residuals antibiotics in the final products. As a result, sustainable alternatives are in demand to mitigate the prevailing issues for both conventional and organic farming. Potential alternatives may include bacteriophages, vaccination, probiotics, plant-derived prebiotics, and synbiotics. These alternatives have beneficial attributes and shortcomings of their use in both conventional and organic poultry production system. In this review, we'll discuss the scope of these potential alternatives as therapeutics and subtherapeutics in sustainable poultry production and ways to improve their efficacy.

Effect of dietary supplemental vitamin C and betaine on the growth performance, humoral immunity, immune organ index, and antioxidant status of broilers under heat stress

Heat stress (HS) has become one of the important factors affecting the development of animal husbandry. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether vitamin C (Vc) and betaine (Bet) improve immune organ index and humoral immunity by enhancing the antioxidant status of immune organs, thus protecting broilers from HS-induced injuries. A total of 200 28-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned into 5 groups (n = 4 replicates/group, 10 broilers/replicate) which were reared at different ambient temperatures (24 ± 1°C or 33 ± 1°C). The control group fed basal diet, while high-temperature groups were either fed a basal diet (HS group) or a basal diet supplemented with 250-mg Vc/kg diet (HSVc group), 1000-mg Bet/kg diet (HSBet group), and 250-mg Vc plus 1000 mg Bet/kg diet (HSVcBet group), respectively. On day 42, growth performance, humoral immune function, immune organ index, and antioxidant capacity were measured. HS reduced the productive performance of broilers, antibody potency against the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and sheep red blood cells (SRBC), indices of thymus and bursa, and antioxidant capacity of immune organs. Adding Vc alone or in combination with Bet improved performance, NDV and SRBC antibody potency, thymus and bursa indices, and antioxidant capacity of immune organs in heat-stressed broilers, with the most effective being combination. In summary, HS reduces the antioxidant capacity and immune organ development status of broiler immune organs. Vc and/or Bet can improve the development of immune organs and restore part of the production performance by regulating the antioxidant status of immune organs, among which the combined addition of Vc and Bet has the best effect.

Heat Shock Protein Response to Stress in Poultry: A Review

Compared to other animal species, production has dramatically increased in the poultry sector. However, in intensive production systems, poultry are subjected to stress conditions that may compromise their well-being. Much like other living organisms, poultry respond to various stressors by synthesising a group of evolutionarily conserved polypeptides named heat shock proteins (HSPs) to maintain homeostasis. These proteins, as chaperones, play a pivotal role in protecting animals against stress by re-establishing normal protein conformation and, thus, cellular homeostasis. In the last few decades, many advances have been made in ascertaining the HSP response to thermal and non-thermal stressors in poultry. The present review focuses on what is currently known about the HSP response to thermal and non-thermal stressors in poultry and discusses the factors that modulate its induction and regulatory mechanisms. The development of practical strategies to alleviate the detrimental effects of environmental stresses on poultry will benefit from detailed studies that describe the mechanisms of stress resilience and enhance our understanding of the nature of heat shock signalling proteins and gene expression.

Effects of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) essential oil and chronic heat stress on growth performance, carcass characteristics, serum biochemistry, antioxidant enzyme activity, and intestinal microbiology in broiler chickens

This study was conducted on 600 one-day-old male broiler chicks, using a 2 × 6 factorial design (ambient temperature, A x feed additive, F), for a period of 42 days. The chicks assigned to different groups were exposed to thermoneutral (TN, 24 ± 1 °C) and constant heat stress (HT, 36 ± 1 °C) conditions, and were only fed on a basal diet, and a basal diet supplemented with either 100 mg/kg chloramphenicol, 50 IU/kg α-tocopherol, or 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg of cumin essential oil (CEO). The results showed that heat stress adversely affected performance and carcass characteristics, and increased both the mortality rate and footpad lesions. Moreover, constant chronic heat stress showed negative effects on serum biochemistry and the intestinal microbiota, increased antioxidant activity in both the plasma and breast meat, and increased counts of the pathogenic microorganisms in the small intestine. On the other hand, dietary CEO supplementation positively affected these parameters. CEO had a slight effect on performance, carcass characteristics, mortality rate and the incidence of footpad lesions. When compared to the control group, it was determined that CEO generally had a positive effect on lipid peroxidation in the plasma and tissues and decreased antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, CEO positively affected serum biochemistry and counts of beneficial microorganisms in the small intestine.

Administration of a Multi-Genus Synbiotic to Broilers: Effects on Gut Health, Microbial Composition and Performance

In recent years, the applicability of prebiotics, probiotics and their mixtures, defined as synbiotics, in poultry production has received considerable attention. Following the increasing regulation of antibiotic use, these nutraceuticals are seen as an alternative way to sustain production efficiency and resistance to pathogens and stressors by modulating birds' gut health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits provided under field conditions by administering the multi-species synbiotic PoultryStar^® sol to broilers in drinking water. To this purpose, three Ross 308 broiler flocks, representing separate progenies of a breeder flock which was treated with the same synbiotic, were housed in separate farms, divided into treatment and control groups, and followed throughout the productive cycle. Synbiotic administration was shown to improve gut health even in absence of a challenge, with limited changes in terms of macroscopic intestinal lesions and more overt differences related to histopathological scores and villi length. Synbiotic-fed chickens performed consistently better in terms of body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and survivability. Lastly, the evaluation of the caecal microbiome through next-generation sequencing highlighted the effects of synbiotic supplementation on the composition of the bacterial population, the implications of which will, however, require further studies to be better comprehended.

Effects of brown seaweed products on growth performance, plasma biochemistry, immune response, and antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens challenged with heat stress

Brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) is an exceptional bioactive substance known for its excellent antioxidant ability. Given the potential benefits of brown seaweed, the current study was conducted to determine its efficacy on growth performance, blood biochemistry, immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM), and the antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens challenged with heat stress (HS). A total of 336 mixed-sex Ross 308 broiler chicks (one-day-old) were randomly assigned into two groups; The thermoneutral group (TN, broilers were raised at 24 ± 1°C); and the heat stress group (HS; broilers were exposed to 32°C to 34°C, 8 h/d from day 21 to 27; the temperature in the remaining time was same as TN group). All birds in each group were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments—Negative control (NC) (without seaweed), NC + 1 mL seaweed extract (SWE) in drinking water, NC + 2 mL SWE in drinking water, and NC + 2% seaweed meal (SWM) in feed. Each treatment was assigned to six replicates with 7 broilers/replicate. Average body weight gain (ABWG), average feed intake (AFI), average water intake (AWI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality were determined weekly. On day 28, two male birds/cage were euthanized to collect blood and immune organs for subsequent biochemical, antioxidant, and immune status analysis. Data were analyzed as a 4 × 2  factorial analysis of variance using the GLM procedure of Minitab software. Overall, 2% SWM inclusion significantly increased (P < 0.05) the AFI, ABWG, and AWI of broiler chickens irrespective of HS. HS significantly reduced (P < 0.05) AFI and increased (P < 0.05) the bird's rectal temperature, plasma concentrations of sodium, chloride, glucose, amylase, and uric acid compared to TN birds. HS increased (P < 0.05) serum IgM and IgG and decreased plasma glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase compared to TN birds, while the activity of superoxide dismutase was not affected by HS and dietary treatments. 1 mL SWE in water and 2% SWM in feed significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the plasma activity of alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase of heat-stressed broilers, respectively compared to other treatments. Conclusively, dietary supplementation of brown seaweed improved the growth performance of birds irrespective of HS and may help to reduce the negative effects of HS by improving the plasma enzyme activities of heat-stressed birds.