This study investigated the effects of dietary Paenibacillus xylanexedens ysm1 supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, immune response, and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens challenged with Escherichia coli K88. A total of 320 one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 4 treatments (8 floor pens, 10 birds/pen) including 1) negative control (NC) birds fed a basal diet and not challenged with E. coli K88; 2) positive control (PC) birds fed a basal diet and challenged with of E. coli K88; 3) P. xylanexedens ysm1 treatment (PRO) birds fed a basal diet supplemented with 1 × 109P. xylanexedens ysm1 cfu/kg feed and challenged with E. coli K88; and 4) antibiotic treatment (ANT) birds fed a basal diet supplemented with 20 mg of colistin sulphate/kg of feed and challenged with E. coli K88. The E. coli challenge decreased (P < 0.05) BWG in PC birds compared with the ANT birds on days 21 and 28. The FCR was higher (P < 0.01) in PC birds compared with the NC, PRO, and ANT birds on days 14, 21, and 28. Compared with the NC, PRO, and ANT birds on day 28, PC birds had shorter villi and higher number of goblet cells in both jejunum and ileum (P < 0.001). Irrespective of the dietary treatments, the E. coli challenge reduced the number of PCNA-positive cells in both the jejunum and ileum on day 28. Paenibacillus xylanexedens ysm1 treatment resulted in higher concentration of mucosal sIgA in the jejunum as compared to the other treatment groups on days 14 and 28. The numbers of cecal E. coli were reduced (P = 0.017) in broilers treated with P. xylanexedens ysm1 or antibiotic in comparison with the PC group on day 28. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that dietary supplementation of this new probiotic bacteria P. xylanexedens ysm1 improved broiler performance by modulating intestinal morphology, enhancing immune response, and reducing the number of E. coli in the cecum.

This study evaluated the effect of intra-amniotic synbiotic inclusion and continued synbiotic supplementation in the diet on the performance, intesti

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Two consecutive experiments compared different concentrations of inorganic trace minerals in broiler production under different ambient temperature. Both experiments had six treatments, consisting of 100, 80, 60, 40, 20 and 0% of normal trace mineral premix (TMP) inclusion rate with eight and four replicates of sixty male broilers in the first and second experiments, respectively. Experiment 1 began on January 9th and finished on February 20th while Experiment 2 began on July 19th and finished on August 29th. Body weight and feed consumption were determined at 14, 35 and 42 days. At 42nd day two birds per pen were killed and the tibia removed for bone ash determination. In Experiment 2, cohort birds were fed in battery pens from 35 to 37 days. with excreta samples collected for trace mineral analysis. In Experiment 1, birds with no TMP had significantly decreased body weight over all growth periods. Birds fed diets with 20% of normal TMP did not differ in performance from those fed higher levels up to 100% of normal addition rates. There was no difference in any growth variables in Experiment 2 when higher environmental temperatures were in effect. Reduction of TMP in broiler diets could reduce mineral excretion to environment. Levels of Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn in broiler excreta decreased when mineral premix levels were reduced.