Gastrointestinal tract and neuroendocrine system responses of young turkeys to the early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat

Gastrointestinal response to the early administration of antimicrobial agents in growing turkeys infected with Escherichia coli

“…α-glucosidase (enrofloxacin, doxycycline), β-glucosidase (doxycycline), α-galactosidase (enrofloxacin, doxycycline), and β-galactosidase (enrofloxacin, doxycycline). A similar tendency towards reduced effects on the enzyme activity of cecal microbiota was also observed in our previous study on growing turkeys subjected to enrofloxacin and doxycycline treatments ( Mikulski et al, 2022 ). However, such a significant reduction in SCFA concentrations in response to enrofloxacin and doxycycline administration was not observed in the cited study.…”

“…It was not our intention to induce an infection resulting in bird death, but only a subclinical infection which is frequently encountered in poultry production. Our previous study ( Mikulski et al, 2022 ) revealed that the early short-term administration of antibiotics or continuous use of the coccidiostat monensin in clinically healthy turkeys (uninfected with APEC) had no effect on growth performance. Similarly, Charleston et al (1998) reported that the chickens that survived initial IBV infection and intratracheal challenge of 10 6 CFU of E. coli or that recovered after medication grew at a rate similar to that noted in uninfected birds between d 14 and 21 of the study.…”

“…This study is part of multiaspect experiments conducted by 2 research teams. Selected findings from this project, including gastrointestinal function, inflammatory responses and the morphological structure of selected organs of the immune system and redox status in the blood serum of turkeys treated with antibiotics, have already been published in thematically linked articles ( Mikulski et al, 2022 ; Nadolna et al, 2023 ; Smagieł et al, 2023a , 2023b ).…”

“…In our previous study, the enzyme activity of cecal microbiota tended to decrease in clinically healthy turkeys receiving enrofloxacin or doxycycline ( Mikulski et al, 2022 ). However, little is known about the potential risks associated with the early administration of antibiotics to healthy birds or birds infected with APEC, including intensified oxidative stress, changes in the composition of cecal microbiota, and the metabolic activity of the gastrointestinal tract ( GIT ).…”