Effects of on the growth performance and intestinal health of broilers challenged with .

Background: is the main etiological agent of necrotic enteritis. Lactobacilli show beneficial effects on intestinal health in infectious disease, but the protective functions of lactobacilli in -infected chickens are scarcely described. This study examined the effects of () on the growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens challenged with () over a 28-day period. Using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, a total of 308 1-day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were included to investigate the effects of () on the growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens challenged with () during a 28-day trial.

Results: During infection (d 14-21), challenge decreased the average daily gain ( <  0.05), and increased feed conversion ratio and the mortality rate ( <  0.05). However, dietary supplementation with increased the body weight of -infected broilers on d 21 ( <  0.05), and tended to decrease the mortality ( = 0.061). challenge decreased the villus height ( <  0.05), the ratio of villus height to crypt depth ( <  0.05) and (occludin) mRNA expression ( <  0.05), and increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the spleen and jejunum, the intestinal populations of and ( < 0.05), and the serum content of endotoxin ( < 0.05), regardless of supplementation. In contrast, dietary reducedthe intestinal lesion score of challenged broilers ( < 0.05), the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, ileal populations of and serum endotoxin content ( < 0.05), but increased the intestinal populations ( < 0.05), irrespective of challenge.

Conclusion: Dietary addition of could improve the intestinal health and reduce the mortality of broilers suffering from necrotic enteritis.