Calcium Montmorillonite-Based Dietary Supplement Attenuates Necrotic Enteritis Induced by <i>Eimeria maxima </i>and <i>Clostridium perfringens </i>in Broilers

Abstract

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a poultry disease caused by Clostridium perfringens and characterized by severe intestinal necrosis. The incidence of avian NE has been progressively increasing following the removal of antibiotics from poultry feed. We evaluated the effect of diets supplemented with the thermally-processed clays, calcium montmorillonite (CaMM) on clinical signs, immunopathology, and cytokine responses in broiler chickens using an experimental model of NE consisting of co-infection with Eimeria maxima and C. perfringens. In Trial 1, Ross/Ross chickens were fed from hatch with a normal basal diet or a CaMM-supplemented diet with or without a fermentable fiber, an organic acid, and/or a plant extract, and co-infected with E. maxima and C. perfringens under conditions simulating clinical infection in the field. Chickens fed a diet supplemented with CaMM plus a fermentable fiber and an organic acid had increased body weight gain, reduced gut lesions, and increased serum antibody levels to C. perfringens α-toxin and NetB toxin compared with chickens fed the basal diet alone. Levels of transcripts for interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and tumor necrosis factor-α superfamily-15 were significantly altered in the intestine and spleen of CaMM-supplemented chickens compared with unsupplemented controls (p＜ 0.05). In Trial 2, Cobb/Cobb chickens were fed an unsupplemented diet or a diet supplemented with CaMM or Varium ® , each with a fermentable fiber and an organic acid, and co-infected with E. maxima and C. perfringens under subclinical infection conditions. Compared with unsupplemented controls, broilers fed with CaMM plus a fermentable fiber and an organic acid had increased body weight gain, and reduced feed conversion ratio, mortality, and intestinal lesions, compared with chickens fed an unsupplemented diet (p＜0.05). Dietary supplementation of broiler chickens with CaMM plus a fermentable fiber and an organic acid might be useful to control avian NE in the field.

Growth-Promoting and Antioxidant Effects of Magnolia Bark Extract in Chickens Uninfected or Co-Infected with Clostridium perfringens and Eimeria maxima as an Experimental Model of Necrotic Enteritis

“…Both diets were either unsupplemented or supplemented with low or high amounts of magnolia bark extract. Chickens were infected by oral gavage on day 14 with 1.0 × 10 4 oocysts/bird of E. maxima Beltsville strain 41A, as described ( 40 ). At day 18, E. maxima– infected chickens were infected by oral gavage with 1.0 × 10 9 CFUs/bird of C. perfringens strain Del-1 ( 40 ).…”

“…Average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, body weight gain, and final body weight were measured as variables of growth performance, as described ( 40 ). Each variable was measured during 2 time periods: the entire experimental period (days 1–35) and in the 2-d period immediately after C. perfringens infection in co-infected chickens (days 18–20) when intestinal lesions are at maximum size ( 12 ).…”

Phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives to promote growth and enhance host health

“…For complex disease like NE, it takes a multi-faceted approach to decrease the effects of disease on gut health. For example, a commercial product Varium ® was designed to improve barrier function by removing pathogens by agglutination, removing biotoxins via adsorption, priming immune development, and providing energy to the enterocytes [ 144 ]. Varium ® has been tested in vitro for its ability to bind biotoxins of pathogenic bacteria (i.e.…”

“…fermentable fibers, organic acids, and/or phytonutrients) could improve gut health and decrease the negative effects of avian NE. The two trials evaluated CaMM-based dietary products on growth performance, clinical signs, immunopathology, and cytokine responses of young broilers using disease challenge models with avian NE [ 144 ]. When tested in unchallenged birds, Varium exerted an effect similar to an in-feed AGP on body weight, feed intake, and FCR.…”

Montmorillonite combined organic acid or essential oil complex improves the intestinal health status of laying hens

“…Dietary OA and EO compounds could reduce intestinal harmful bacteria, enhance digestive enzyme activity, and contribute to bene cial effects on feed e ciency of broilers [10]. A blend of MMT and OA is effective on control the necrotic enteritis caused by Eimeria maxima and Clostridium perfringens in broiler chickens [13]. However, supplementation of the combination of MMT and OA or EO in diets for laying hens has not been reported yet.…”