Spray-Dried Plasma Improves Body Weight, Intestinal Barrier Function, and Tibia Strength during Experimental Constant Heat Stress Conditions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to see how spray-dried plasma (SDP) supplementation affected broiler chicken performance, intestinal permeability, and bone strength during persistent heat stress. One-day-old chicks (n = 480) were randomly assigned into twelve environmental corrals; four thermoneutral (TN-negative control, maintained at 24 °C from d 21–42); four heat stress (HS, exposed to 35 °C from d 21–42); and four heat stress treated with 2% SDP in the feed until d 28 followed by 1% SDP until d 42 (HS-SDP). The performance and serum levels of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-d) were evaluated at d 21, 28, 35, and 42. The tibias strength was evaluated on d 21 and 42. The increment in chicken temperature (p < 0.05) was observed two h following the increase in environmental temperature in both HS groups and was associated with decreased performance parameters compared with the TN group. At d 42 of age, the chickens exposed to HS had an impaired gut permeability and decreased tibia strength compared to the TN group (p < 0.05). However, partially feeding SDP mitigated these adverse effects significantly. These findings imply that using SDP strategically during stressful times, such as prolonged heat stress, may help mitigate its negative consequences.

Effects of feeding spray-dried plasma to broiler breeders and their progeny on broiler performance under stressful rearing conditions of coccidial challenge and heat stress

“…Perhaps one of the organ systems that is most susceptible to heat stress is the gastrointestinal tract, as it decreases tight junction protein gene expression, leading to increased permeability and chronic systemic inflammation ( Tellez et al, 2017 ). Ruff et al (2021) worked with the supplementation of 2% SDP up to 28 d and 1% up to 42 d in the diet of birds subjected to heat stress and observed that the use of SDP reduced the negative effects of stress in birds raised in environments with high temperatures. In addition, it was reported that imposed continue heat stress improved BW and BWG for the 42-days period in broilers fed with SDP supplementation, which is consistent to what we observed in our second hatch under intermittent heat stress.…”

Chemical Composition and Functional Properties of Spray-Dried Animal Plasma and Its Contributions to Livestock and Pet Health: A Review

“…In a study in which broiler chicks were given bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) antibiotic-or SDAP-supplemented (3%) diets and orally challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), it was reported that the SDAP diet mitigated the adverse effects of the SE challenge on broiler growth performance up to 2 weeks of age [123]. Furthermore, in high-temperature conditions (heat stress), partially feeding with SDAP helped mitigate adverse effects such as reduced body weight, feed intake, bone strength, increased feed conversion, and gut permeability [124].…”

“…The measurement of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-d), a small molecule with a molecular size of 3-5 kDa that is normally not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, had been identified as a reliable biomarker for assessing gut permeability in poultry [129]. Studies have shown that the addition of SDAP to the diet of heat-stressed chickens reduced the serum concentrations of FITC-d, indicating an improvement in intestinal barrier function and gut integrity [124]. This reduction in FITC-d levels suggests a decrease in chronic systemic inflammation associated with increased gut permeability.…”