Stunting syndrome in broilers: effect of glucose or maltose supplementation on digestive organs, intestinal disaccharidases, and some blood metabolites.

The effect of supplementing a cornsoybean diet (C) with glucose (G) or maltose (M) on young broilers (from hatch to 3 wk of age) affected by stunting syndrome (SS) was studied. Stunting syndrome was induced by orally administering an inoculum prepared from the intestines of SS broiler chicks. Relative to the M diet, the G diet improved growth and feed utilization and increased feed intake in naive (NA) control chickens. The C diet was intermediate in this respect. In contrast to the NA chickens, diet did not affect growth or feed utilization in SS chicks. Changes in the relative weights of the gastrointestinal tract segments were evident by 1 wk of age and hypertrophy of these segments persevered to 3 wk of age. Stunting syndrome infection was accompanied by a significant increase in pancreatic trypsin-specific activity during Weeks 1 and 2, and in chymotrypsin activity at 1 wk. During this time, amylase-specific activity was not affected. At 3 wk of age, the specific activities of amylase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin in the pancreas were lower in the inoculated vs control birds. Whereas no significant effect of SS was observed with activities of amylase in the intestinal contents, trypsin activity was higher in SS chicks at 1 wk, and that of chymotrypsin lower during Weeks 2 and 3. Relative to NA chicks, the maltase and saccharase activities of SS chicks were much lower during Week 1, but increased later on and were similar to NA chick values at 2 and 3 wk. Whereas the level of blood plasma proteins did not vary from 1 to 3 wk in the NA chicks, it increased gradually in SS chicks to a level that significantly exceeded that in their NA counterparts. Blood plasma glucose and triglyceride levels were slightly lower in the SS chicks (NS), and the blood plasma cholesterol level was significantly reduced during Week 2. Relative to NA chicks, SS infection caused a significant increase in plasma calcium during Weeks 2 and 3, accompanied by a significant reduction in blood plasma phosphorus at 2 wk only. No difference was observed in the blood plasma level of uric acid, which peaked in both treatments during Week 2, or in D-beta-hydroxybutyric acid level, which was quite stable during the experimental period. Stunting syndrome infection was accompanied by a dramatic increase in amylase and alkaline phosphatase activities in the blood plasma, and by a slight but significant decrease in activity of lactic dehydrogenase. Stunting syndrome was concluded to be an affliction not only of digestion but also of metabolism. The main depression in growth caused by SS inoculation is probably due to metabolic alterations beyond those of digestion and absorption.