article · Italian Journal of Animal Science
A trial involving 1,200 broiler chicks evaluated the effects of dietary probiotics, organic acids, and their combinations on growth, immunity, and microbial counts. Chicks received feed supplemented with Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, a blend of acetic and propionic acids, or both. Probiotic supplementation increased final body weight, raised plasma total protein and glutathione peroxidase concentrations, and stimulated both humoral- and cell-mediated immunity. Adding organic acids similarly elevated plasma protein and boosted cell-mediated immune responses. Crucially, supplementing either additive or their combination reduced total bacterial loads in breast meat and eliminated detectable Salmonella from meat samples. The treatments also lowered intestinal counts of Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Significant interactions between probiotics and organic acids were evident in antioxidant enzyme activity, immune indicators, and bacterial counts, showing benefits for bird growth and meat hygiene.
Enhancing broiler immunity and reducing harmful pathogens in poultry production are vital for food safety and animal welfare. Using feed additives such as probiotics and organic acids can improve bird growth and antioxidant status while significantly suppressing bacteria like Salmonella and Escherichia coli in both the gut and meat. This supports cleaner meat production without compromising flock performance.
This work applies directly to poultry feed manufacturers and commercial broiler producers seeking functional additives to boost flock growth and meat safety. Having been tested in a controlled trial on 1,200 commercial broilers, the feed formulations represent applied research tested at flock scale. The findings suggest practical utility for feed millers formulating probiotic and organic acid supplements as growth and health promoters in standard poultry diets.
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The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of probiotics, organic acids, and their combination on growth performance, carcase characteristics, blood biochemical parameters, antioxidative status, immune responsiveness, and bacterial count in broilers. A total of 1,200 1-d-old unsexed broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned in a completely randomised design according to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, with 2 levels of dietary probiotics (0% and 0.2%) possessing 4 × 109 cfu/g of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis and 3 levels (0, 0.03, and 0.06%) of organic acids blend of acetic and propionic acids for a total of 6 experimental treatments with 10 replicates each (20 birds/replicate). Dietary 0.02% probiotics increased final body weight. Addition of probiotics or organic acids increased plasma total protein concentration significantly. Dietary 0.02% probiotics increased plasma glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) concentration and enhanced humoral- and cell-mediated immune response. Supplementation of 0.03% and 0.06% organic acids improved cell-mediated immune response significantly. Interestingly, addition of probiotics and/or organic acids reduced total bacterial count in breast meat, and Salmonella was not detected in meat. A significant interaction between probiotics and organic acids was observed in plasma globulin concentration, plasma GSH-Px concentration, cell-mediated immune response at 24 h post-phytohaemagglutinin-P injection, intestinal Salmonella count, and total bacterial count in meat. It could be concluded that the inclusion of probiotics and/or organic acids enhanced humoral- and cell-mediated immunity and decreased the counts of E. coli and Salmonella in the gut, and reduced total bacterial count in breast meat.HIGHLIGHTS Probiotics and/or organic acids enhanced immunity. Probiotics and/or organic acids improved meat safety. Probiotics and/or organic acids could be used as growth promoters.
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DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2021.2012092
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