| Popis: |
Recent research has questioned the notion that Campylobacter jejuni is a harmless resident of the avian gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The following trial examined the effect of dietary supplementation with a mixture of enzymes and Bacillus-based probiotics on growth performance, C. jejuni colonisation, GIT immune responses, faecal shedding and extra-intestinal spread in broilers. Fifty-eight, Ross 308 d-old broilers were randomly assigned to one of four treatments, giving 14 or 15 birds/pen. Birds were given nutritionally complete, complex, phased diets unsupplemented (two treatments) or supplemented (two treatments) with a multi-enzyme containing 2,000 U/kg xylanase, 200 U/kg amylase and 4,000 U/kg protease, and 75,000 cfu/g of a combination of three strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. One control and one supplemented diet group contained birds orally challenged with 105 cfu C. jejuni strain M1 on d 21 of age. Among challenged birds, the mixed-enzymes and probiotic combination numerically reduced faecal C. jejuni shedding (-98% vs challenged control) three days-post-infection (d.p.i.), and at 7 d.p.i. numerically reduced C. jejuni colonisation of the ileal mucosa (-1000-fold vs control) and totally inhibited systemic spread of C. jejuni to the liver, compared to the control (P |
