China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine ›› 2019, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (10): 2927-2936.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2019.10.013

• Animal Nutrition and Feed Science • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Lactobacillus fermentum and Bacillus coagulans on the Growth Performance and Gut Health of Broilers Challenged with Clostridium perfringens

XIA Yi1, ZHANG Yuanke1, XU Jingyun1, GUO Shuangshuang1,2, DING Binying1,2   

  1. 1. Engineering Research Center on Feed Protein Resources of Agricultural By-product, Ministry of Education, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China;
    2. Hubei Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
  • Received:2019-02-23 Online:2019-10-20 Published:2019-10-21

Abstract: In the present study,the necrotic enteritis of broiler chickens was induced with the challenge of Clostridium perfringens,and the effects of Lactobacillus fermentum and Bacillus coagulans on the growth performance and intestinal health of the infected birds were investigated.A total of 336 1-day-old Arbor Acres chicks were randomly assigned into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group,the control group,challenge group (infected with Clostridium perfringens),challenge+LF and challenge +BC groups (infected birds fed diets supplemented with Lactobacillus fermentum (1×109 CFU/kg diet) and Bacillus coagulans (1×1010 CFU/kg diet),respectively).All the infected broilers were inoculated with Clostridium perfringens type A during 14-21 d,and the experiment lasted for 28 d.Compared with the control group,the pathogen challenge significantly decreased the daily feed intake during 22-28 d (P<0.05),increased the duodenal and jejunal lesion scores at 28 d (P<0.05),as well as the cecal contents of Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia.coli at 21 d (P<0.05),and decreased ileal Clostridium perfringens at 28 d (P<0.05).Compared with the challenge group,dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus fermentum significantly increased the ileal contents of Lactobacillus spp.at 21 d (P<0.05),and decreased cecal content of Escherichia coli at 21 d (P<0.05).Dietary supplementation of Bacillus coagulans significantly decreased the duodenal lesion score at 28 d and duodenal crypt depth at 21 d (P<0.05),increased the jejunal ratio of villus height to crypt depth at 21 d (P<0.05),reduced Escherichia.coli content in the ileum and cecum at 21 d (P<0.05),and increased Lactobacillus spp.in the ileum at 28 d (P<0.05).In summary,dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus fermentum and Bacillus coagulans had modulatory effects on intestinal microflora in Clostridium perfringens-infected broilers.Morever,the Bacillus coagulans benefited the development of intestinal villi,alleviated the intestinal injury,and improved the growth performance of broilers to some extent,while Lactobacillus fermentum did not exhibit alleviative effects.

Key words: Clostridium perfringens; broiler; Lactobacillus fermentum; Bacillus coagulans; gut health

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