ABSTRACT:The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of commercial monostrain and multistrain probiotics in diets on growth performance, intestinal morphology and mucin gene (MUC2) expression in broiler chicks. Three hundred seventy-eight 1-d-old male Arian broiler chicks were allocated in 3 experimental groups for 6 wk. The birds were fed on a corn-soybean based diet and depending on the addition were labeled as follows: control-unsupplemented (C), birds supplemented with Bacillus subtilis (BS) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) based probiotics. Each treatment had 6 replicates of 21 broilers each. Treatment effects on body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and biomarkers such as intestinal goblet cell density, villus length, villus width, and mucin gene expression were determined. Total feed intake did not differ significantly between control birds and those fed a diet with probiotics (p>0.05). However, significant differences in growth performance were found. Final body weight at 42 d of age was higher in birds fed a diet with probiotics compared to those fed a diet without probiotic (p<0.05). Inclusion of Bacillus subtilis based probiotic in the diets also significantly affected feed conversion rate (FCR) compared with control birds (p<0.05). No differences in growth performance were observed in birds fed different types of probiotic supplemented diets. Inclusion of lactic acid bacteria based probiotic in the diets significantly increased goblet cell number and villus length (p<0.05). Furthermore, diets with Bacillus subtilis based probiotics significantly increased gene expression (p<0.05), with higher intestinal MUC2 mRNA in birds fed diet with probiotics compared to those fed the control diet. In BS and LAB probiotic fed chicks, higher growth performance may be related to higher expression of the MUC2 gene in goblet cells and/or morphological change of small intestinal tract. The higher synthesis of the mucin gene after probiotic administration may positively affect bacterial interactions in the intestinal digestive tract, intestinal mucosal cell proliferation and consequently efficient nutrient absorption.

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Measuring vitamin D and its regulating hormones in the serum might be an accurate method for assessment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity. We tested the hypothesis that the serum levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are associated with the grade of disease activity in an unselected cohort of patients with RA.

The effect of egg powder inclusion in the pre-starter diet (1-7 days of age) on the performance, and intestinal morphology and microbiology of male broiler chickens was evaluated in a completely randomized design. Starter diets with equal metabolizable energy and crude protein levels were formulated to contain 0, 20, 40, or 60 g egg powder/kg diet. Results showed that body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and European efficiency index were positively affected (p≤0.05) by egg powder inclusion in the starter diet. Inclusion of 40 g egg powder/kg diet in the starter diet promoted the best performance results. Jejunal villus height and villus to crypt ratio increased (p≤0.05) and intestinal length decreased (p≤0.05) as a result of egg powder inclusion in the starter diet. Egg powder inclusion in the starter diet reduced (p≤0.05E. coli counts, but increased (p≤0.05) lactic acid bacteria counts in the small intestine. The results obtained in the present study indicate that the inclusion of 40 60 g egg powder/kg of starter diet g improved the performance and intestinal health of broilers.

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The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of in ovo infusion of probiotic strains (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium, and Pediococcus acidilactici) on jejunal microbial population and mucin gene expression in broiler chicken. In a completely randomized design, 0.5 ml of mediums containing 10 7 cfu of different probiotic strains, was administered into amniotic fluid of the 480 Cobb fetus (day 18 of incubation), with four treatments, five replicates with twenty four eggs each. For mucin gene expression, samples from the jejunum were taken on day 21 of incubation and day 3 post-hatch. Microbial profile was determined for total lactobacillus and E. coli by sampling jejunal contents on days 1 and 3 of age. Expression of the mucin gene in the jejunum was higher (p<0.05) in chicks that received Bacillus subtilis in comparison with the control group. Infusion of the probiotic strains had no effect on jejunal E. coli and lactic acid bacteria populations on day 1 post-hatch (p>0.05). There were no significant differences among treatments for performance parameters at different periods and the whole period. It was concluded that infusion of probiotic bacteria during the late of incubation has no effect on feed intake, gain and feed conversion ratio, but has a positive effect on mucin gene expression in the jejunum. The best probiotic strain for mucin gene expression was Bacillus subtilis and for beneficiary bacteria colonization was Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici.

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