A B S T R A C TAn experiment was conducted on 210 healthy one day old broiler chicks to evaluate the effect of synbiotics and/ or essential oils on induced necrotic enteritis (NE) and coccidiosis. The treated groups were, 1) ABAC group: challenged with Eimeria spp. + C. perfringens and fed basal diet with antibiotic and anticoccidial drugs; 2) SY group: challenged with Eimeria spp. + C. perfringens and fed basal diet with synbiotic; 3) EO group: challenged with Eimeria spp. + C. perfringens and fed basal diet with essential oils (EO); 4) SYEO group: challenged with Eimeria spp. + C. perfringens and fed basal diet with combination of synbiotics and essential oils; 5) CO group: fed basal diet and challenged with Eimeria spp.; 6) NE group: fed basal diet and challenged with Eimeria spp. + C. perfringens, and 7) CN group: fed basal diet. All additives were given from 0 day (d) to 35 d. The results showed positive impact of synbiotic and EO treatments on lesion scoring and C. perfringens quantification in comparison with challenged non treated groups. The body weight did not show significant improvement (P>0.05) in SY group but the EO group increased the BW (P>0.05). The treatments significantly decreased the oocyst shedding, dropping scoring and litter scoring against coccidiosis infection in comparison with NE group (P<0.05). The ABAC group showed insignificant decline in dropping and litter scoring in comparison with synbiotic and EO treatments (P>0.05). All treatments significantly improved the histopathological lesion scoring of intestine and liver as well as the coccidial infection score (P<0.05). Our data suggest that synbiotic and essential oils may be used as potential candidates for antibiotic and anticoccidial feed additives as they can promote better intestinal health.

The ameliorative effects of some different antimycotoxicosis compounds (AMCs) against the adverse effects induced by intoxication of dietary aflatoxin (AF) and/or ochratoxin (OT) on the immune system performance in broiler chicks were investigated.AF (23 ppb), OT (17 ppb) and mixed doses were fed and in association with antimycotoxin feed additives; product A (combination of Eubacterium BBSH 797 and Trichosporon mycotoxinivoran, plant extract, algae extract) or product B (nano-clay, seaweed extract, yeast cell wall, diatomaceous earth) from 1 day old chicks to 21 day. The intoxicated chicks treated with AMCs; product C(combination of bacterial cell wall extract, oligosaccharides, L-form bacteria extract, group of mycotoxin biotransforming enzymes, organic acid and salts, hepatic and renal tonic and vitamins)or product D in drinking water (isomaltooligosaccharide, micronized-mannan oligosacharide, lactobacillus extract and cholestyramine) were used in the drinking water of 2 weeks old chicks after appearance of signs. Results revealed that chicks intoxicated with AF and/or OT showed significant (P<0.05) decrease in the relative weights of the main immune organs and the antibody titers against vaccines of Newcastle disease (ND) and Infectious bursal diseases (IBD) viruses, in addition to significant (P<0.05) increase in the cumulative histopathological lesion scores of thymus, bursa of Fabracius and spleen. The adverse effects of AF and/or OT on the relative weights and the histopathological lesion scores of the tested immune organs and the antibody titers against ND and IBD vaccination were significantly (P<0.05) improved with dietary supplementation of AMCs products A or B. While the treatment of the intoxicated chicks with AMCs products C or D in the drinking water showed partially and temporarily improvement in the relative weights and the histopathological lesion scores of the tested immune organs and did not improve the negative effects of AF and/or OT on the antibody titers against ND and IBD vaccines.