Influence of different prebiotics and mode of their administration on broiler chicken performance

Abstract

In the post-antibiotics era, prebiotics are proposed as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. The goal of this study was to compare in ovo method of prebiotic delivery with in-water supplementation and with both methods combined ( in ovo + in-water) in broiler chickens. Two trials were conducted. Trial 1 was carried out to optimize the doses of two prebiotics, DN (DiNovo ® , extract of beta-glucans) and BI (Bi 2 tos, trans-galactooligosaccharides), for in ovo delivery. The estimated parameters were hatchability and bacteriological status of the newly hatched chicks. Prebiotics were dissolved in 0.2 ml of physiological saline, at the doses: 0.18, 0.88, 3.5 and 7.0 mg/embryo; control group (C) was injected in ovo with 0.2 ml of physiological saline. Trial 2 was conducted to evaluate effects of different prebiotics (DN, BI and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO)) delivered in ovo, in-water and in a combined way ( in ovo + in-water) on broiler chickens performance. The results of the Trial 1 indicated that the optimal dose of DN and BI prebiotics delivered in ovo, that did not reduce chicks' hatchability, was 0.88 mg/embryo (DN) and 3.5 mg/embryo (BI). Both prebiotics numerically increased number of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in chicken feces ( P > 0.05). In Trial 2, all prebiotics (DN, BI and RFO) significantly increased BW gain compared with the C group ( P < 0.05), especially during the first 21 days of life. However, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were increased upon prebiotics delivery irrespective of method used. Injection of prebiotics in ovo combined with in-water supplementation did not express synergistic effects on broilers performance compared with in ovo injection only. Taken together, those results confirm that single in ovo prebiotics injection into the chicken embryo can successfully replace prolonged in-water supplementation post hatching.

Synbiotics for Broiler Chickens—In Vitro Design and Evaluation of the Influence on Host and Selected Microbiota Populations following In Ovo Delivery

“…The other component that influences hatchability (i.e., doses of bioactive compounds for in ovo injection) must be optimized prior to field trials. In our studies, we assumed the criterion of hatchability as the major indicator of the optimal dosage [42]. By definition, we selected the highest dose of a given bioactive compound that did not cause significant reduction in hatchability.…”

“…cremoris , significantly increased final BWG with unchanged FCE [21]. In another experiment, in ovo injection of GOS and RFO prebiotics alone also increased BWG, but with higher FI and FCE [42]. Changes in BWG and FCE in animals supplemented ( in ovo or in-feed) is quite natural and it results from competition for nutrients between the host and its intestinal microbiota, which usually results in higher energy uptake [43].…”

Long-Term Transcriptomic Effects of Prebiotics and Synbiotics Delivered In Ovo in Broiler Chickens

“…This indicates that prebiotics and synbiotics injected in ovo expressed a different mode of action. Synbiotics used for this study were composed based on a three-stage selection procedure, aiming to: (1) determine synergistic interactions between prebiotics and probiotics in vitro , (2) assess the immunomodulatory potential of the synbiotic towards host cells in vitro [30], and (3) determine doses of prebiotics and synbiotics for in ovo injection based on hatchability of chicks and probiotic survival in the chicken GI tract [23]. …”

“…The probiotic is, most likely ingested by the embryo during hatching. Birds are hatched with a fully developed microbiome, expressed by the Bifidobacterium count in the feces of the chicks [20–23]. So far, we have determined the long-term effects of the in ovo delivery of prebiotics and synbiotics on several phenotypic traits, including performance traits, such as body weight, feed intake [21] and meat quality of broiler chickens [24], as well as physiological parameters, including the development of the immune organs [25–27] and pancreatic enzymes [28].…”

Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics

“…Dietary pre biotics, including inulin, yeast cell wall extracts, lactulose and GOS are usually fed at concentrations up to 0.2% (weight/volume) of diet [140][141][142][143][144][145][146] .…”