Combinations of herbs and probiotics as an alternative growth promoter: An in vitro study

Effective microorganisms, turmeric (Curcuma longa), and their combination on performance and economic benefits in broilers

The effects of effective microorganisms (EM), turmeric powder (TP), and their combination (EM-TP) on broiler performance, carcass characteristics, and economic benefit were studied in broilers fed a concentrate-based diet. A total of 192 chicks were assigned to four dietary treatments having CTL = control, EM = CTL+1 ml/lit effective microorganisms, TP = CTL+1%TP, EM-TP = CTL+0.5 ​ml/litEM+0.5%TP following a completely randomized design of 3 replications for each treatment. Concentrate was fed ad-libitum to all treatment groups. The feeding experiment lasted 42 days, 21 days for the starter and finisher phases each. The highest (P < 0.001) feed intake was observed when EM was fed as the sole additive and EM-TP during the starter period while the lowest (P > 0.05) value was for TP alone. There was no significant difference in feed intake during the finisher and the entire experimental period. The average daily gain for EM was higher (P < 0.05) than that of CTL and TP during the starter phase. However, during the finisher phase the average daily gain for EM-TP was greater (P < 0.05) than for TP and CTL. The greatest (P < 0.05) average daily gain was for EM-TP and EM during the entire period. The feed conversion ratio, performance index, mortality, and carcass characteristics were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. The highest (P < 0.05) abdominal fat was observed in the control group. The finding indicates that a greater net return was earned from EM-TP while a lower net return was observed for TP. In conclusion, supplementation of EM (1 ​ml/lit) and the combination (EM-TP) at 0.5% each are better in terms of average body weight gain, the net return, and in decreasing abdominal fat.

Oral administration of Lactobacillus brevis 23017 combined with ellagic acid attenuates intestinal inflammatory injury caused by Eimeria infection by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway

The aim of this study was to investigate whether oral administration of Lactobacillus brevis 23017 (LB) alone and in combination with ellagic acid inhibits ChTLR15/ChNLRP3/ChIL-1β by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to attenuate intestinal inflammatory injury. Two animal experiments were performed. In Experiment 1, chickens were allocated into 7 groups: PBS, and low, medium and high dosages of live and heat-killed LB, named L/LB(+), M/LB(+) and H/LB(+), and L/LB(-), M/LB(-) and H/LB(-), respectively. In Experiment 2, chickens were divided into 5 groups: PBS, challenge control, and low, medium and high dosages of ellagic acid combined with LB(+), named L/EA + L/LB(+), M/EA + M/LB(+) and H/EA + H/LB(+), respectively. Chickens were gavaged with LB with or without ellagic acid once a day. Then, the mRNA and protein levels of the components of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway found in the caecal tissues were quantified. On Day 7 post-infection with E. tenella, the levels of the components of the ChTLR15/NLRP3/IL-1β pathway in the caeca were again quantified, and the anticoccidial effects were assessed. The results showed that the levels of the genes in the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in the chickens in the LB(+) groups were higher than those in the LB(-) groups (p < 0.001); those in the H/LB(+) group were higher than those in the M/LB(+) and L/LB(+) groups (p < 0.001); and those in the H/EA + H/LB(+) group showed the highest expression levels compared with the other groups (p < 0.001). After challenge, the chickens in the H/LB(+) group displayed less inflammatory injury than those in the M/LB(+) and L/LB(+) groups (p < 0.05), and the chickens in the H/EA + H/LB(+) group showed stronger anti-inflammatory effects than the other groups (p < 0.05). Thus, these protective effects against infection were consistent with the above results. Overall, significant anti-inflammatory effects were observed in chickens orally gavaged with high dosages of live L. brevis 23017 and ellagic acid, which occurred by regulation of the ChTLR15/NLRP3/IL-1β pathway.

Role of Different Growth Enhancers as Alternative to In-feed Antibiotics in Poultry Industry

The poultry industry has grown so fast alongside the irrational use of antibiotics to maximize profit and make the production cost-effective during the last few decades. The rising and indiscriminate use of antibiotics might result in the deposition of residues in poultry food products and in the development of resistance to these drugs by microorganisms. Therefore, many diseases are becoming difficult to treat both in humans and animals. In addition, the use of low-dose antibiotics as growth enhancer results in antibiotic residues in food products, which have detrimental effects on human health. On the other hand, many studies have shown that antibiotics administered to poultry and livestock are poorly absorbed through the gut and usually excreted without metabolism. These excreted antibiotics eventually accumulate in the environment and enter the human food chain, resulting in the bioaccumulation of drug residues in the human body. In this regard, to find out alternatives is of paramount importance for the production of safe meat and egg. Therefore, in recent years, much research attention was disarticulated toward the exploration for alternatives to antibiotic as in-feed growth enhancers after its ban by the EU. As a result, probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics, spirulina, symbiotic, and their combination are being used more frequently in poultry production. Feed additives therefore gained popularity in poultry production by having many advantages but without any residues in poultry products. In addition, numerous studies demonstrating that such biological supplements compete with antimicrobial resistance have been conducted. Therefore, the purpose of this review article was to highlight the advantages of using biological products instead of antibiotics as poultry in-feed growth enhancers to enhance the production performance, reduce intestinal pathogenic bacteria, and maintain gut health, potentiating the immune response, safety, and wholesomeness of meat and eggs as evidence of consumer protection, as well as to improve the safety of poultry products for human consumption.

Probiotics and Herbs Combination in Commercial Feed Additives as Growth Promoter in Broiler Chicken

The prohibition on the use of Antibiotic Growth Promoter (AGP) causes the use of probiotics, herbs, enzymes and organic acids as an alternatives to AGP. This study aimed to determine the role of combination of probiotic and herbs in commercial feed additives on broiler performance. Sixty day-old male broiler were divided into 3 groups where each group consisted of 20 chickens with 4 replication each group. Group I was given commercial feed, group II was given commercial feed + AGP and group III was given commercial feed + combination of probiotics, herbs, enzymes and organic acids. All chickens were kept for 5 weeks. Body weight gain (BWG), body weight (BW) and Feed Convertion Ratio (FCR) were calculated every week. Carcass percentage was calculated at week 5. The results obtained from BWG and BW on group III at weeks 4 and 5 weeks were higher and significant difference (P<0.05) compared to groups I and II. The percentage of carcasses between groups did not have a significant difference (P>0.05). FCR values in group III from week 1 to weeks 5 were lower than groups I and II. The use of combination of probiotics, herbs, enzymes and organic acids has proven to have a good role on broiler performance so that it can replace AGP as a feed additive on broiler.

Phytogenic products, used as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters, modify the intestinal microbiota derived from a range of production systems: an in vitro model

The removal of antibiotics from the feeds used in the livestock industry has resulted in the use of a wide range of alternative antimicrobial products that aim to deliver the productivity and health benefits that have traditionally been associated with antibiotics. Amongst the most popular alternatives are phytogenic product-based extracts from herbs and spices with known antimicrobial properties. Despite embracing such alternatives, the industry is still largely unaware of modes of action, their overall effects on animal health, and interactions with other feed additives such as probiotics. To address some of these issues, three phytogenic products were selected and their interactions with caecal microbiota of layers, grown under six different production systems, were investigated in vitro. Caecal microbiotas were grown with and without phytogenic products, and the changes in microbiota composition were monitored by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Phytogenic products and production system both significantly influenced microbiota composition. The three phytogenic products all altered the relative abundance of species within the Lactobacillus genus, by promoting the growth of some and inhibiting other Lactobacillus species. There were also significant alterations in the Bacillus genus. This was further investigated by comparing the effects of the phytogenic products on the growth of a commercially used Bacillus-based probiotic. The phytogens affected the probiotic mix differently, with some promoting the growth of Bacillus sp. at lower phytogenic concentrations, and fully suppressing growth at higher concentrations, indicating the importance of finding an optimal concentration that can control pathogens while promoting beneficial bacteria. KEY POINTS: • After removal of antibiotics from animal feed, urgent solutions for pathogen control were needed. • Alternative products entered the market without much knowledge on their effects on animal health. • Probiotic products are used in combination with phytogens despite the possible incompatibility.

Antimicrobial resistance genes in bacteria from animal-based foods

Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide public health threat. Farm animals are important sources of bacteria containing antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Although the use of antimicrobials in aquaculture and livestock has been reduced in several countries, these compounds are still routinely applied in animal production, and contribute to ARGs emergence and spread among bacteria. ARGs are transmitted to humans mainly through the consumption of products of animal origin (PAO). Bacteria can present intrinsic resistance, and once antimicrobials are administered, this resistance may be selected and multiply. The exchange of genetic material is another mechanism used by bacteria to acquire resistance. Some of the main ARGs found in bacteria present in PAO are the bla, mcr-1, cfr and tet genes, which are directly associated to antibiotic resistance in the human clinic.

Preliminary Study on the Effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL on Cecal Bacterial Community Structure of Broiler Chickens

Probiotics can promote the health and growth performance of animals through modulation of intestinal microbiota. When used as a feed additive, they have the potential to minimize or abolish the use of antibiotics. In this study, we investigated the effect of the probiotic strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TL on the growth performance and cecum microflora composition in Cobb 500 broiler chickens. In total, 180 broilers were randomly divided into three groups-each group comprised 4 pens, and each pen contained 15 chickens. The three groups were fed either a control diet, or a diet supplemented with either the antibiotic chlortetracycline or B. amyloliquefaciens TL. Broilers were weighed, and cecum contents were collected on days 7, 14, 21, and 35, respectively. The broilers in both the antibiotic and probiotic groups exhibited significant weight gain compared with controls, exhibiting increases of 16.02% and 13.40%, respectively, after 35 days (P < 0.01). Similarly, the feed conversion ratio (FCR, 1-35 days) of broilers in the chlortetracycline and B. amyloliquefaciens TL groups was lower than that of the controls. HiSeq high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA of the cecal microbiota was performed on days 7, 14, 21, and 35, respectively. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was higher in the chlortetracycline and B. amyloliquefaciens TL groups than in the control group on days 14, 21, and 35, and especially on day 21. The prevalence of genera Oscillospira, Ruminococcus, Butyricicoccus, and Faecalibacterium (Firmicutes) was higher in the antibiotic and probiotic groups, while that of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides (Bacteroidetes), and Lactobacillus was higher in the control group. In this study, the changes in the microbiota of the probiotic group were similar to those in the antibiotic group. These results suggest that the probiotic strain B. amyloliquefaciens TL can modulate the cecal microbiota of broilers similar to chlortetracycline.