Impact of a Macleaya cordata-derived alkaloid extract on necrotic enteritis in broilers

Abstract

Necrotic enteritis (NE) causes significant economic losses in the broiler chicken industry, especially in birds raised without in-feed antibiotics. A standardized blend of plant-derived isoquinoline alkaloids (IQA) derived from Macleaya cordata has shown to have anti-inflammatory potency and promoted animal productivity. This study investigated the effects of IQA supplementation on broiler chickens under NE challenge. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed with factors: NE challenge (no or yes), and additives (no additive or IQA at 0.15 g/kg) in starter, grower, and finisher diets. Birds were challenged with Eimeria spp. on d 9 and 108 to 109Clostridium perfringens on d 14. Each treatment had 7 replicate floor pens with 17 birds each. NE challenge negatively affected growth performance, livability, and carcass traits. Regardless of challenge, IQA increased feed intake and gain on d 24 (P < 0.05) and 35 (P < 0.01) and improved FCR (P < 0.05), flock uniformity (P < 0.01) and breast meat yield (P < 0.001) on d 35. Supplementation of IQA also reduced lesions in the duodenum (P < 0.05), jejunum (P < 0.001), and ileum (P < 0.001). This study suggests that IQA may protect broilers from NE indicating its role as a promising antibiotic alternative.

Effects of dietary Macleaya cordata extract on growth performance, immune responses, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal development in weaned piglets

“…In addition, supplementation with isoquinoline alkaloids also reduced the occurrence of lesions in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of broiler chickens that were challenged with Eimeria spp. (Xue et al 2017). Neither sinus dystrophy nor inflammation of the mucosal epithelium was observed when pigs were given a diet supplemented with either 2 ppm (0.0002%) pure sanguinarine or 100 ppm (0.01%) of a sanguinarine preparation (Kosina et al 2004).…”

Effects of natural dietary supplementation with Macleaya cordata extract containing sanguinarine on growth performance and gut health of early‐weaned piglets

“…In another study of Cobb × Cobb male chicks fed SAG (50 and 25 ppm at 1–21 and 22–42 days respectively), the animals showed improved BW values at 21 days and a better cumulative FCR (Vieira et al., b). These contrasting effects of SAG on performance might be related to the amount of SAG supplied, the length of the experimental period or the species tested (Juskiewicz et al., ; Kosina et al., ; Rawling, Merrifield, & Davies, ; Xue et al., ).…”

“…Supplementation with isoquinoline alkaloids also reduced the occurrence of lesions in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of broiler chickens that were challenged with Eimeria spp. (Xue et al., ). Neither sinus dystrophy nor inflammation of the mucosal epithelium was observed when pigs were given a diet supplemented with either 2 ppm (0.0002%) pure sanguinarine or 100 ppm (0.01%) of a sanguinarine preparation (Kosina et al., ).…”

Effects of isoquinoline alkaloids from Macleaya cordata on physiological, immunological and inflammatory parameters in healthy beagles

“…Positive effects of sanguinarine on gut microbiota and integrity of intestinal mucosa have been reported (Liu et al, ; Robbins et al, ; Xue et al, ). Due to shifts in microbial metabolites in faeces, for example, significantly elevated ratio of acetic acid (in % of total, 52.3 ± 5.2 and 57.1 ± 4.5 for control and experimental group, resp., p = 0.042), or elevated total lactate values in faeces (in µmol/g, 20.1 ± 17.0 and 39.9 ± 51.3 for control and experimental group, resp.)…”

“…R.Br. (Khadem, Soler, Everaert, & Niewold, ; Ni, Martinez, & Guan, ; Xue et al, ). These effects might be caused by the anti‐inflammatory properties of IQs (Niewold, ).…”