Effects of dietary fructooligosaccharide on digestive enzyme activities, intestinal microflora and morphology of male broilers

Abstract

Two hundred forty male Avian Farms broiler chicks, 1 d of age, were randomly allocated to four treatments, each of which had five pens of 12 chicks per pen. The chicks were used to investigate the effects of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on digestive enzyme activities and intestinal microflora and morphology. The chicks received the same basal diet based on corn-soybean meal, and FOS was added to the basal diet at 0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 g/kg diet at the expense of corn. Addition of 4.0 g/kg FOS to the basal diet significantly increased average daily gain of broilers. The feed-to-gain ratios were significantly decreased for the birds fed diets with 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg FOS versus the control. Addition of 4.0 g/kg FOS enhanced the growth of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, but inhibited Escherichia coli in the small intestinal and cecal digesta. Supplementation of 2.0 or 4.0 g/kg FOS to chicks significantly improved the activities of amylase compared to the control (12.80 or 14.75 vs. 8.42 Somogyi units). A significant increase in the activities of total protease was observed in 4.0 g/kg FOS-treated birds versus controls (83.91 vs. 65.97 units). Morphology data for the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum showed no significant differences for villus height, crypt depth, or microvillus height at the duodenum. By contrast, addition of 4.0 g/kg FOS significantly increased ileal villus height, jejunal and ileal microvillus height, and villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratios at the jejunum and ileum and decreased crypt depth at the jejunum and ileum. However, addition of 8.0 g/kg FOS had no significant effect on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, intestinal microflora, or morphology.

Kaolin in the diet and its effects on performance, litter moisture and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

“…The results of improvement of the intestinal integrity observed in the present study were reflected in the performance results, since according to XU et al (2003) clay possess the capacity to absorb and excrete pathogenic microorganisms present in the poultry's gastrointestinal tract which promotes improvements in the environment and in the epithelium and, consequently, greater use of nutrients.…”

“…According to MACARI et al (2002), the absorptive capacity of the intestine will be directly proportional to the size of the villi and poultry with higher villi may have a better absorption of nutrients. The intake of clays can improve the intestinal integrity through its role in absorption and excretion of pathogenic microorganisms in poultry gastrointestinal tract (XU et al, 2003). HU et al (2013) observed improvements in intestinal integrity measured by the villi height by providing clay (montmorillonite) to broiler chickens.…”

Effect of Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum and Lactobacillus acidophilus endospores on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, relative organ weight, microbial shedding and excreta noxious gas emission in broilers

“…The underlying mechanism is related to the fact that increased villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio are directly correlated with an increased epithelial turnover (Sinol et al 2012), and longer villi are linked with activation of cell mitosis (Samanya and Yamauchi 2002). Shortening of villi and deeper crypts lead to poor nutrient absorption, increased secretion in gastrointestinal tract and reduced performance (Xu et al 2003). Intestinal morphology including duodenal and ileal villus height and crypt depth and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio are indicative In the current study, the inclusion of tri-strain probiotics increased relative weight bursa to the BW compared to the control group.…”

Effects of inulin supplementation on selected faecal characteristics and health of neonatal Saanen kids sucking milk from their dams

“…Prebiotics have been used in nutrition research with canines (Verlinden et al, 2006;Apanavicius et al, 2007), felines (Hesta et al, 2005), poultry (Xu et al, 2003), swine (Yasuda et al, 2007), horses (Bailey et al, 2007), young ruminants (Kaufhold et al, 2000;Heinrichs et al, 2003) and adult ruminants (Franklin et al, 2005). Although some prebiotics such as scFOS, OF, inulin, mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) and galactooligosaccharides have been supplemented to cows (Mwenya et al, 2005), calves (Masanetz et al, 2011) and lambs (Thayne, 2007) and some information is available on the effects of feeding prebiotics in selected species mentioned above (Swanson et al, 2002a), there is no information on the effects of supplemental inulin in kids.…”