Supplementation of broiler diets with feed additives such as chemotherapeutic drugs and antibiotics has side effects, meat residues, and antibiotics resistance complications. Plant-derived natural compounds could be safe and easy substitutes for chemical additives. One of the natural compounds is curcumin, the extract from herbal plant Curcuma longa , known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties which may be effective in reducing coccidia infection in poultry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of curcumin on Eimeria challenged ( C ) and nonchallenged ( NC ) Cobb 500 broilers. A total of 360 12-day-old male chicks were housed in 36 cages in a completely randomized design with 6 replicates per treatment of 10 birds each cage. The six corn–soybean meal–based treatment diets were fed from day 12 to 20 to C and NC birds in 3-by-two factorial arrangement: nonchallenged control ( NCC ), NC + 100 mg/kg curcumin, NC + 200 mg/kg curcumin, challenged control ( CC ), C + 100 mg/kg curcumin, and C + 200 mg/kg curcumin. Broilers in C groups were inoculated orally with 50,000 oocysts of Eimeria maxima , 50,000 oocysts of Eimeria tenella , and 250,000 oocysts of Eimeria acervulina on day 14. The intestinal permeability (day 19), growth performance parameters, and intestinal lesion scoring were measured and recorded on day 20. The means were subjected to two-way ANOVA, and main factors effect and their interactions were considered. The growth performance and permeability were higher ( P < 0.001) in the NC and C groups, respectively. However, no interaction was observed between curcumin dose and cocci challenge on both of these parameters. Results from lesion scores and oocyst shedding showed reduction ( P < 0.050) in birds fed C + 200 mg/kg curcumin compared with those fed C + 100 mg/kg curcumin or CC. Curcumin treatment showed higher production of GSH ( P = 0.002) and total glutathione (GSH+2GSSG) ( P = 0.002) but lower GSH/GSSG ratio ( P < 0.001) than the NCC group. Curcumin exhibited some positive responses on antioxidant capacity, lesion score, and oocyst shedding in the present study, suggesting that curcumin alone or a combination with other feed additives could be a dietary strategy to improve gut health in broilers.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of a novel microbial phytase on broiler performance from d 0 to 42 and tibia ash at d 21. Male Cobb 500 broilers (n = 2,016) were fed 1 of 7 experimental diets: positive control (PC) formulated to meet or exceed nutrient recommendations; PC plus dicalcium phosphate (PC+DCP) formulated to provide Ca and P at 0.10% above the PC; PC plus 500 U/kg of microbial phytase (PC+500); negative control (NC) with Ca and P reduced from the PC by 0.16 and 0.15%, respectively; and NC plus 500 (NC+500), 1,000 (NC+1,000), or 1,500 (NC+1,500) U/kg of microbial phytase. Diets were fed in 3 phases from d 0 to 21, d 22 to 42, and d 43 to 49 to 32 birds/pen and 9 replicate pens/diet. From d 0 to 21, broilers fed the NC diet had decreased (P ≤ 0.05) BW gain and tibia ash compared with broilers fed all other diets, except tibia ash in birds fed PC+500. Phytase supplementation at 500, 1,000, or 1,500 U/kg to the NC improved (P ≤ 0.05) BW gain and tibia ash comparable with the PC. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved (P ≤ 0.05) in broilers fed NC+1,500 compared with broilers fed all other diets. From d 0 to 49, growth performance was not influenced (P > 0.05) by diet. However, FCR was improved (P ≤ 0.05) in broilers fed 1,500 U/kg of microbial phytase compared with broilers fed the PC, PC+DCP, and NC. There were no differences in performance or tibia ash between broilers fed the PC or PC+DCP, which would indicate the PC diet was sufficient in Ca and P. Therefore, the improvements in FCR in the NC+1500 may be associated with mitigation of the antinutrient effects of phytate rather than improved P utilization.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of inorganic copper and zinc on growth performance, intestinal permeability, intestinal lesion scores, oocyst shedding, antioxidant properties and bone quality in broilers challenged with Eimeria spp. A total of 360 d-old male Cobb broiler chickens were housed in floor cages for 12 days at the Poultry Research Center. At 12 days of age, birds were placed in grower Petersime batteries and distributed in a completely randomized design with 10 birds per cage, six replicates per treatment, and six treatments. There were six corn-soybean meal-based dietary treatments: non-challenged control (NC), challenged control (CC), 100 ppm Cu (100 Cu), 150 ppm Cu (150 Cu), 80 ppm Zn (80 Zn), and 100 ppm Zn (100 Zn). Broilers received the treatment diets for 9 days (12-20d). Birds, except NC, were challenged with Eimeria maxima (50,000 oocysts/bird), Eimeria tenella (50,000 oocysts/bird), and Eimeria acervulina (250,000 oocysts/bird) on 14d. On 20d, the growth performance was recorded, and one bird/cage was used for analysis of intestinal permeability, antioxidant properties and bone quality. Lesion score was recorded at 20 days of age in eight birds/cage. The means were subjected to ANOVA and, when significant, compared by Duncan's test. Intestinal permeability was significantly improved when birds received the 100 Zn diet (P < 0.05). In addition, lesion scores on duodenum were reduced when broilers received diets 150 Cu as compared to CC diet (P < 0.05). However, growth performance was not positively influenced by inclusion of inorganic minerals as compared to the NC diet. Furthermore, activity of superoxide dismutase and bone quality were not affected, whereas glutathione status was improved with mineral supplementation in all groups. This study showed that Cu and Zn supplementation improves intestinal integrity during the Eimeria spp. infection, suggesting that Cu and Zn supplementation would be a potential strategy to reduce detrimental effects of Eimeria infection in broilers.

A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement study was conducted to evaluate 3 dosages of 2-nitro-1-propanol ( NP ; 0, 150, and 200 ppm) on intestinal health of birds with or without Eimeria challenge. A total of 432 thirteen-day-old male broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 6 treatments with 8 replicate cages of 9 birds per cage. All birds were fed with treatment diets from day 13 to 21. Birds in the challenge groups were gavaged with Eimeria maxima (50,000 oocysts per bird), Eimeria tenella (50,000 oocysts per bird), and Eimeria acervulina (250,000 oocysts per bird) on day 15. Growth performance was evaluated from day 13 to 21, and gut permeability was measured by fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran on day 20. The intestinal lesion, intestinal morphology, and oocysts shedding were determined at the end of the trial. The linear and quadratic orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to evaluate the effects of increasing NP doses in responses to Eimeria challenge. The results showed that NP was not able to maintain efficient growth performance but improved gut leakage during Eimeria infection period. On the other hand, Eimeria infection increased gut permeability ( P < 0.0001) and reduced ileal digestible energy ( IDE ) and apparent ileal digestibility ( AID ) of nitrogen. However, the increase of NP linearly enhanced IDE and AID of nitrogen ( P < 0.01). Moreover, an interaction between challenge and linear dosage effects was observed for IDE ( P = 0.0066) and AID of nitrogen ( P = 0.0462). The results indicated that NP improved nutrient digestibility and reduced total oocysts shedding in birds challenged with Eimeria spp. Besides, higher NP doses numerically improved villi height in the intestine. In summary, NP was not able to maintain growth performance of birds but presented positive outcomes on nutrient digestibility and reduced oocysts shedding during mixed Eimeria infection.

Since thermal environment affects production, egg quality and laying hens' mortality rates, it is highly relevant to control the thermal environment within poultry houses so that the best financial profits could be obtained. Three commercial poultry houses with different climatization systems are analyzed in current research: a poultry house with tunnel-like ventilation and pad cooling; a poultry house with natural ventilation and nebulization; a poultry house with simple natural ventilation. Their thermal environment, production, egg quality and laying hens' mortality rates among different poultry houses and at different areas of the same poultry house are compared. Economic profits based on difference in electric energy consumption by climatization systems and on the laying hens' productivity of each poultry house are calculated. Electricity meters were installed within the electrical circuits of the climatization and light systems of the three poultry houses. Data were registered between December 2011 and March 2012 and results showed that all the poultry houses featured heterogeneity in internal thermal environment with faults in the climatization systems. Important differences were reported in egg production and quality caused by overheating. The poultry house with tunnel-like ventilation and pad cooling had the best thermal isolation from the external environment that resulted in a 12.04% improvement in production, decrease between 30 and 40% in laying hens' mortality rates and the best economic result.