Paraquat (PQ) is used as a herbicide in agriculture and causes oxidative and inflammatory damage to animal tissues. The current study was conducted to investigate the positive effects of dietary propolis (PR), as a potent naturally produced antioxidant, on growth performance and immune function of turkey poults exposed to oxidative stress induced by PQ injection. Native male turkey poults (n = 120, 49-d-old) were randomly assigned into 4 groups: poults received a basal diet with a daily subcutaneous PQ injection of 5 mg/kg BW for 7 consecutive days (PQ group), an experimental diet containing 1 g/kg PR with a daily subcutaneous PQ injection for 7 days (PR+PQ group), or received the experimental PR diet with a daily subcutaneous injection of 0.5 mL sterile saline for 7 days (PR group); while the control poults received a basal diet with a daily subcutaneous saline injection for 7 consecutive days (C group). The productive performance in the PQ group showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in the weight gain (WG) and feed intake (FI), and impaired feed conversion ratio (FCR). Propolis supplementation in the PR+PQ group significantly ameliorated the PQ effects on WG and FCR. Turkey poults of the PQ and PR+PQ groups had a significant augmentation in the blood malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and corticosterone levels, and in contrast, a significant reduction in the triiodothyronine (T3), when compared to the C group. While propolis significantly reduced the MDA and corticosterone, and increased the T3 levels in the PR+PQ group compared to the PQ group. Furthermore, the dietary PR supplementation significantly limited the PQ-suppressive effects on cell- and humoral-mediated immunity and lymphocyte proliferation of turkey poults. In addition, propolis supplementation in the PR and PR+PQ groups markedly reversed the PQ-induced DNA fragmentation and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) over-expression in blood cells. It can be concluded that PR could improve turkey immunity and performance, particularly under inflammation and oxidative stress induced by PQ exposure.

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, , , , and Antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry diets are currently restricted, so other feed additives, such as prebiotics and probiotics, have been suggested as an antibiotics alternative to improve the performance and gut health of poultry. The current experiment was conducted to study the effects of adding Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) as a potential replacement for an antibiotic on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, some blood parameters, and caecal microbiota of broiler chickens. For conducting the current research experiment, a total of 180 one–day old Ross broiler chicks were randomly divided into one control group fed a basal diet and four dietary treatments with six replicates for each treatment. The treatment groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with different levels of MOS 0.5, 1, and 2 g/Kg diet and Lincomycin 4.4 mg/Kg diet during 35 days of the feeding trial. With exception of the growing period, the group fed a basal diet supplemented with 2 g MOS/Kg feed had considerably higher body weight and weight gain, while having the lowest feed consumption and best feed conversion ratio compared to the other treatment groups, during all experimental periods. Moreover, dietary supplementation of MOS resulted in a significant decrease in the counts of caecal E. coli and Enterococcus, while Lactobacillus and Yeast bacteria counts were significantly higher, compared to non-supplemented groups. Broiler chicks having a 2 g MOS/kg diet recorded lower values of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), urea, and liver enzymes, including Aspartate transaminase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), while they recorded significantly higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL), compared to the other experimental groups. Group treated with MOS 2 g/Kg feed improved digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract, and organic matter, compared to the control group, Additionally, MOS supplementation also increased the intestinal villi length, width, and crypt depth and decreased intestinal inflammation, compared to the control group. In conclusion, supplementation of MOS at 2 g/kg diet improved growth performance, digestibility, and blood parameters without having adverse effects on the intestine of broiler chickens, comparable to the Lincomycin.

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