Arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS) are hydrolytic degradation products of arabinoxylans (AX) that can be fermented by the gut microbiota, thus potentially displaying prebiotic properties. This study examined the effects of AX and AXOS on net energy (NE) and nutrient utilization in broilers. Ross 308 broilers ( n = 90, 30 birds per treatment) were fed wheat-soybean diets supplemented with pure AX, AXOS produced by exposing the AX to xylanase in vitro (AXOS), or AX with xylanase (AX + E) from d 10 to 21. Performance parameters were measured from d 10 to 21. On d 15, 10 birds per treatment were allocated to closed-circuit net energy chambers to assess the impact of AX and AXOS on dietary energy utilization, through assessment of both metabolisable energy (ME) and NE. Ileal and caecal digesta samples were collected on d 21 to determine the effect of AX and AXOS on ileal and total tract dry matter digestibility, ileal digestible energy, digesta pH, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and microbiota concentration. Feed conversion ratio was numerically the lowest in birds fed the diet supplemented with AXOS, which is 1.26 compared to 1.37 and 1.30 for AX and AX + E, respectively. Ileal dry matter digestibility was higher in birds fed AXOS than those fed AX ( P = 0.047). Ileal digestible energy and total tract dry matter digestibility were higher in birds fed AXOS than those fed AX or AX + E ( P = 0.004 and P = 0.001, respectively). Birds fed AXOS had higher ME intake ( P = 0.049) and nitrogen retention ( P = 0.001) and a strong trend of higher NE ( P = 0.056), NE intake ( P = 0.057) and retained energy ( P = 0.054) compared to those fed AX. Ileal total SCFA, lactic and formic acid concentrations were higher in birds fed AXOS than those fed AX ( P = 0.011, P = 0.012 and P = 0.023, respectively). Birds fed AXOS or AX + E had higher caecal total SCFA, acetic, butyric and isovaleric acid concentrations compared to those fed AX ( P = 0.001, P = 0.004, P = 0.016 and P = 0.008, respectively), and caecal propionic acid concentration was higher in birds fed AX + E than those fed AX ( P = 0.050). Ileal and caecal microbiota concentrations were numerically higher and pH was lower in birds fed AXOS and AX + E than those fed AX. Results from this study indicate that feeding AXOS directly is more efficient than AXOS generation in the gastrointestinal tract, and suggest that AXOS has a potential to be an efficacious prebiotic in broiler diets.

No abstract

Necrotic enteritis ( NE ) is an infection of the gastrointestinal tract and is estimated to cost the global poultry industry billions of dollars annually. A study was conducted to examine whether reducing the crude protein might offset the severity of NE in broilers experimentally challenged with Eimeria spp. on day 9 and Clostridium perfringens on days 14 and 15. Furthermore, increasing the dietary amino acid ( AA ) density of the diet was also examined owing to identified benefits of improving performance compromised from low protein ( LP ) diets or NE. A 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments at 6 replicates per treatment was used with 972 Ross 308 cockerels fed wheat-sorghum-soy-based diets to 35 D. Factors were NE challenge: no or yes; protein: standard ( SP ) or LP; and AA density: 100% AA, 115% with only essential AA ( 115% EAA ) increased, and 115% AA with both essential and nonessential AA ( 115% AA ) increased. The performance was measured in grower (days 7–21), finisher (days 21–35), and overall (day 7–35) periods. In addition, on day 16, intestinal lesion score and cecal short-chain fatty acids were measured. Only in nonchallenged birds fed LP diets, 115% AA increased grower feed intake ( P < 0.01) and body weight gain ( P < 0.05) compared to 115% EAA treatments. Challenge increased jejunal lesions ( P < 0.001) with no difference between dietary treatments. Finisher body weight gain was greater in nonchallenged birds fed the 115% AA diets than in challenged birds ( P < 0.05). Feeding diets with higher nonessential AA encouraged faster recovery from NE challenge. When fed the SP diets, NE challenge increased cecal butyric acid ( P < 0.01) and total short-chain fatty acids ( P < 0.05). The nutrient matrix used in LP diets does not favor beneficial butyric acid–producing bacteria. Using LP diets to mitigate NE severity does not offset the predisposing effect of E. spp. when attacking the gastrointestinal tract, and NE recovery is favored when feeding SP diets or additional AA.

This study investigated the influence of meat and bone meal ( MBM ), phytase, and antibiotics ( AB ) on the performance, intestinal pH, ileal digestibility, cecal microbiota, and tibial mineralization in Ross 308 broilers challenged with necrotic enteritis ( NE ). A total of 672-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were allocated to 8 treatments with 6 replicate pens, with 14 birds each. The study employed a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: MBM (no or yes), AB (no or yes, zinc bacitracin + salinomycin), and phytase level (500 or 1,500 FTU/kg; both using 500 matrix recommendations). Diets were based on wheat–soybean meal–canola meal. All birds were challenged with Eimeria spp on day 9 and Clostridium perfringens ( C. perfringens ) strain EHE-NE18 on day 14 and day 15. On day 21 (postchallenge), birds fed MBM had reduced weight gain (WG; P < 0.05) relative to without MBM. A 2-way phytase × AB interaction for WG on day 14 ( P < 0.001) and day 21 ( P < 0.001) and feed conversion ratio on day 21 ( P < 0.001) and day 42 ( P < 0.01) indicated positive effects of high phytase on bird performance in the presence of AB. On day 42, a 3-way MBM × phytase × AB interaction ( P < 0.01) was observed for WG, showing high phytase increased WG with AB, relative to the birds without AB in the presence of MBM. A 2-way MBM × phytase interaction ( P < 0.01) was observed for apparent ileal digestibility of Ca and P on day 16, whereby there was a notable reduction in Ca and P digestibility in birds fed MBM-free diets and a low phytase level, but with the high phytase level, Ca and P digestibility was not influenced by MBM. In conclusion, in NE challenged birds, high phytase has a beneficial effect on leg health and mineral utilization to the extent that it can replace MBM and has beneficial effects on bird performance in the presence of AB.

No abstract

1. This study investigated the prebiotic properties of arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS) produced both in situ and in vitro for their activity against the onset of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. 2. A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement was applied, including necrotic enteritis challenge (challenged/unchallenged) and three dietary treatments from d 10 to 21. A wheat-soy commercial-type basal-grower diet was fed with 2% of the wheat proportion replaced by the same amount of either arabinoxylan (AX), AXOS produced from hydrolysing AX with 16 000 BXU (birch xylanase unit) xylanase in vitro or AX fed with 16 000 BXU xylanase (AX + E). Necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge was induced by orally infecting birds with a vaccine strain of Eimeria oocysts at d 9 of age followed by oral gavage of a freshly prepared Clostridium perfringens broth at d 14. 3. The challenge depressed growth performance, induced gross lesions and reduced ileal viscosity at d 10-21. Birds fed on the AXOS diet had numerically less severe gross lesions, improved feed conversion at d 0-16 and lower ileal viscosity at d 16 compared to birds fed on AX. Weight gain of the unchallenged birds ranked as follows in terms of the diets: AXOS > AX + E > AX. AX + E produced a lower ileal viscosity compared to the AX treatment but only led to marginal improvements in performance and intestinal lesion scores. 4. Caecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration was higher in birds fed on AXOS and AX + E compared to those fed on AX and was higher in the challenged birds compared to the unchallenged birds. Gizzard pH was lower in birds fed on AX + E compared to those fed on AXOS at d 16. Challenged birds had lower ileum pH compared to the unchallenged birds at d 16 and 21. 5. Results of this study suggest that AXOS appeared to be efficacious prebiotics, as highlighted by improvements in feed conversion ratio and increased SCFA production. Future studies are warranted to elucidate the types of AXOS that are most active against NE and the mechanisms by which different levels of AXOS enhance bird performance.

The primary cause of necrotic enteritis ( NE ) disease in chickens is the NetB-positive Clostridium perfringens bacterium. Many factors are known to affect the severity of NE in the challenge models of broiler chickens, and one of these factors is the virulence of C. perfringens strain. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of 2 pathogenic C. perfringens strains in a NE challenge model on gut health and mRNA expression of genes encoding apoptosis, tight junction, immunity, and nutrient transporters in broilers. Day-old Ross-308 male broilers ( n = 468) were allocated in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with in-feed antibiotics (no or yes) and challenge (Non, C. perfringens strain NE18, and C. perfringens strain NE36) as the factors. The birds in the challenged groups were inoculated with Eimeria species on day 9 and with a fresh suspension of C. perfringens NE18 or NE36 on day 14 and 15. Sample collection was performed on 2 birds of each pen on day 16. Necrotic enteritis challenge, impaired feed conversion ratio during day 0 to 16 compared with the control group where the effect of the NE36 challenge was more severe than that with NE18 ( P < 0.001). The mRNA expression of mucin-2, immunoglobulin-G, occludin ( P < 0.001), and tight junction protein-1 ( P < 0.05) genes were downregulated in both challenged groups compared with the nonchallenged counterparts. Antibiotic supplementation, on the other hand, increased weight gain, and feed intake in all challenged birds ( P < 0.01), but upregulated mucin-5ac and alanine, serine, cysteine, and threonine transporter-1 ( P < 0.05) only in the NE18 challenged birds. The challenge with NE36 significantly upregulated caspase-8 and claudin-1 ( P < 0.001), but downregulated glucose transporter-2 ( P < 0.001) compared with the NE18 challenge. These results suggest that NE challenge is detrimental to the performance of broilers through compromised intestinal health, and different C. perfringens strains can affect the severity of the disease through modulating the expression of intestinal genes encoding proteins responsible for apoptosis, gut integrity, immunity, mucus production, and nutrient transporters.

Undigested proteins entering the hindgut may favor the proliferation of Clostridium perfringens . Using phytase to eliminate the need for meat and bone meal ( MBM ) as a P source may reduce potential infection with C. perfringens . A study was conducted to determine the impact of MBM, phytase, and antibiotics ( AB ) on intestinal permeability and morphology, organ weights, and jejunal gene expression in Ross 308 chickens challenged with subclinical necrotic enteritis ( NE ). Male Ross 308-day-old chicks (672 each) were randomly allocated to 8 treatments with 6 replicate pens each housing 14 birds. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used: MBM (no or yes); AB (no or yes—Zn bacitracin 100 in S and 50 ppm in G/F and salinomycin Na 60 ppm in all phases); phytase (500 or 1,500 FTU/kg, both using 500 FTU matrix values) using wheat-SBM-canola meal diets. Birds were challenged with Eimeria spp on day 9, and C. perfringens strain EHE-NE18 on day 14 and 15. An AB × MBM interaction ( P < 0.05) was detected for relative gizzard weight (with contents) being lower in birds fed MBM and AB compared to those fed MBM and no AB. A MBM × AB interaction ( P > 0.01) was detected for lymphocyte counts being lower with MBM and AB compared to MBM without AB. A phytase × AB interaction ( P < 0.05) was observed for villi length being increased with high phytase and no AB compared to with AB. Inclusion of MBM increased ( P < 0.05) blood FICT-d concentration, whereas AB decreased it ( P < 0.05). Antibiotics increased RBC ( P < 0.05), Hgb ( P < 0.05), and PCV ( P < 0.05) and expression of Ca-binding protein, CALB1 ( P > 0.05). Inclusion of MBM decreased expression of MUC2 ( P < 0.05). Results indicate that dietary MBM has a detrimental effect on gut health of broilers but this may be counteracted using AB.