The natural feed additive caprylic acid decreases Campylobacter jejuni colonization in market-aged broiler chickens

Abstract

Campylobacter causes human foodborne illness, and epidemiological evidence indicates poultry and poultry products as a significant source of human infection. Decreasing Campylobacter in the poultry intestinal tract would decrease contamination of poultry products. Caprylic acid is a medium-chain fatty acid reported to be effective in killing a variety of bacterial pathogens, including Campylobacter jejuni, but its effect has not been investigated in the control of C. jejuni in preslaughter market-aged poultry already colonized with this bacterium. The objective of this study was to determine the therapeutic effect of caprylic acid on C. jejuni counts in the cecal contents of 42-d-old chickens. Four trials were conducted. In the first 2 trials, day-of-hatch chicks (n = 60 per trial) were assigned to 6 treatment groups (n = 10 birds per treatment group): positive controls (Campylobacter, no caprylic acid), 0.7 or 1.4% of caprylic acid in feed for the last 3 d of the trial with or without a 12-h feed withdrawal. Treatments were similar for trials 3 and 4 except the doses used were 0.35 or 0.7% caprylic acid supplementation for the last 7 d of the trial. On d 42, ceca were collected and Campylobacter counts determined. The supplementation of caprylic acid at 0.35 and 0.7% consistently decreased (P < 0.05) the colonization of C. jejuni in the chicken ceca compared with positive control treatment. When these treatments were evaluated after a 12-h feed withdrawal period, 0.7% caprylic acid decreased Campylobacter colonization in the 3-d treatment supplementation. Body weight and feed consumption did not differ between the caprylic acid and control groups. The results suggest that therapeutic supplementation of caprylic acid in the feed can effectively decrease Campylobacter in market-aged chickens and may be a potential treatment for decreasing pathogen carriage in poultry.

Alternative strategies to use antibiotics or chemical products for controlling Campylobacter in the food chain

“…Only few studies have referred to the addition of natural compounds to chicken feed in an attempt to control Campylobacter. They reported that caprylic acid, a well-known antimicrobial agent present in coconut oil and milk, was effective at reducing intestinal colonisation of the pathogen (Solis de los Santos et al, 2009;Solis de los Santos et al, 2008).…”

Pathobiology ofHeterakis gallinarummono-infection and co-infection withHistomonas meleagridisin layer chickens

“…New ways to influence chicken health by feed additives are under investigation (Owens et al, 2008;Mountzouris et al, 2009;Solis de los Santos et al, 2009). It was shown in different mammalian models that non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) may have a beneficial effect on systemic and local immune functions and general performance of the animal (Kelly-Quagliana & Buddington, 2003;Roller et al, 2004;Seifert & Watzl, 2007).…”

Antimicrobial properties of 1‐monoacylglycerols prepared from undecanoic (C11:0) and undecenoic (C11:1) acid

“…These two fatty acids showed also superior antimicrobial effects against Candida albicans [17] and other yeast strains [18]. On the contrary, the effect of medium-chain fatty acids against Gram-negative bacteria is much lower; some effect against Helicobacter pylori [19], Campylobacter [20], Salmonella [21] and E. coli [22,23] was reported. Efficacy of capric and lauric acid MAG against bacteria H. pylori was also studied by Petschow et al [24], who found out that antibacterial activity of unsaturated MAG based on dodecene acid (C12:1) was several times lower compared to activity of saturated MAG (C12:0).…”