Impact of probiotic and organic acids supplementation on growth performance, immune response and antioxidative properties of broilors

Abstract

This study was carried out at Poultry Production Farm, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, to investigate the impact of probiotic and organic acids supplementation on growth performance, immune response and antioxidative properties of broilers. A total of 1200 broiler chicks of Ross© strain were allocated to evaluate the effect of adding probiotic and organic acids to broilers feed and water, respectivley. Probiotic was added to the ration in the level of 0.02% comparing with control group, with no probiotic inclusion. Organic acids were added to the drinking water in 2 levels (0.03 and 0.06%) comparing with control group (organic acids free), in a complete random factorial design of 6 treatments (2 groups of probiotic supplementation x 3 groups of organic acids supplementation). The numbers of chicks located in each pen (20 chick/ pen) were placed in each one square meter (1m2 ) of the pen using wire mesh partitioning. The experiment was lasted for 42d. Main results of the present study could be summarized as follows: Growth related body weights (g), feed intake (g), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality rate (%): 1. Broiler chicks fed 0.02% probiotic in their diets have significantly heavier body weight at 6 weeks compared to those fed control ration. 2. No impact of adding organic acids to water on body weight at 6 weeks. 3. No significant effect of adding either probiotic or organic acids to feed and water, respectively, on feed intake and feed conversion ratio of broiler chicks. 4. Mortality percentage (%) didn’t be influenced by adding probiotic to feed or organic acids to water. Carcass dissection: 1. No significant differences were noticed among experimented groups for carcass parts percentages (whole carcass, half back, leg quarter, thigh, drumstick, bursa of Fabricius, liver, heart, gizzard, spleen, major pectoral and minor pectoral). Blood plasma analysis: 1. Significant impact of probiotic and organic acids on total protein level, where adding 0.02% probiotic to broiler feed increased significantly total protein figure comparing with control group. 2. Organic acids at levels of 0.03 and 0.06%, respectively, increased the total protein level in comparison with control group. 3. Probiotic level of 0.02% increased significantly albumin levels comparing with control groups, but this differentiationwere not existed among organic acids groups for the albumin parameter. 4. Globulin level didn’t affect by probiotic inclusion in the ration. 5. Adding organic acids in drinking water with a level of 0.03 and 0.06% respectively increased the plasma globulin level in broilers. 6. Plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, T3, T4 and total antioxidant capacity didn’t significantly differ among tested broiler groups. Immune response: 1. Significant merit for control group regarding NDV titre comparing with probiotic added group, while insignificant differences were noted among organic acids received groups in their drinking water. 2. Inclusion of probiotic into broilers diet with a level of 0.02% and organic acids in levels of 0.03 and 0.06% in drinking water significantly improved the cellular immune response after 24h and 48h comparing with control groups. 3. Insignificant effect of adding probiotic or organic acids to broilers feed and water on immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM). While a significant effect of adding 0.02% probiotic to broilers diet on immunoglobulin Y (IgY). From these results it could be concluded that using probiotic and organic acids, in feed and water, for broiler chicks could generally improve growth rate, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, lymphoid organs, blood plasma parameters (total protein, albumin and globulin) and immunity response (cell and antibody mediated), as a consequence of its valuable impact on the survival of useful microorganisms and reserving the balance of normal micro-flora populations located in the bird gut. In addition, probiotics and organic acids have pharmaceutical effect against bacteria and viruses invasion, besides being safe and natural cultivated as feed component itself, reducing feed cost dramatically and maintains the efficiency of feed and meat shelf-life for a long time without a degradation resulted from chemical components reactions of feed additives in feed and meat.