Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Symbiotic can replace zinc bacitracin in diets for layer-type chicks

D. A. Silva https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6243-3969 A , C. B. V. Rabello https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5912-162X A , M. J. B. Santos https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6023-3426 A , J. C. S. Nascimento https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3107-5876 A , A. G. Ribeiro https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6730-0209 A * , E. S. R. Soares https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8271-8056 A , H. E. C. C. C. Manso https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4128-3831 A , L. F. A. Souza https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0142-664X A , W. R. L. Medeiros-Ventura https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5796-2321 A , R. V. Silva Junior https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0208-1065 A and M. F. Andrade https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4337-4590 A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Animal Science Department, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

* Correspondence to: apoloniogomes962@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Kris Angkanaporn

Animal Production Science 64, AN23286 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN23286
Submitted: 27 August 2023  Accepted: 3 January 2024  Published: 6 February 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Antibiotics are being prohibited as additives in poultry diets. Therefore, poultry farmers have been searching for other alternatives, such as symbiotics, to include in broilers and laying hens diets. In contrast, symbiotics have not been tested in laying-type chicks, especially symbiotics composed of three groups of bacteria, yeast and two prebiotics.

Aim

This study examined the effects of replacing zinc bacitracin with symbiotic supplementation on the performance variables, haematology and blood biochemistry variables, and the weight of the immune and digestive systems in layer-type chicks.

Methods

A total of 1040 female layer-type chicks from 1 to 5 weeks of age were evaluated in a completely randomised design, four treatments and 10 replicates of 26 birds. The treatments consisted of two basal diets (one composed of corn and soybean meal [control diet] and another similar to the first diet, except with the addition of meat and bone meal [MBM]), and two diets based on MBM: one with 0.05% zinc bacitracin (ZnBc) and another with 0.1% symbiotic. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means were compared by orthogonal contrasts.

Key results

MBM provided higher mean bodyweight, weight gain and creatinine levels, but lower liver weight, caecum length and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels than in the birds fed the control diet. From 1 to 14 days, ZnBc provided greater bodyweight and weight gain than MBM. From 1 to 28 and 1 to 35 days, ZnBc resulted in higher bodyweight and weight gain, but lower feed intake and feed conversion ratio than birds fed the MBM diet. ZnBc decreased alkaline phosphatase, and increased creatinine levels and gamma-glutamyl transferase. From 1 to 14 and 1 to 21 days, 0.1% symbiotic provided a better feed conversion ratio than in the birds fed the ZnBc diet. The 0.1% symbiotic supplementation resulted in lower liver and fabricius bursa weights, higher mean alkaline phosphatase, and lower globulin, gamma-glutamyl transferase and aspartate transferase levels than ZnBc.

Conclusion

The symbiotic is effective for female layer type-chicks, fulfilling the purpose of replacing ZnBc.

Implications

Symbiotics used in chicks’ diets from the first day of life can replace antibiotics to maintain physiological homeostasis and protect them from possible stress situations.

Keywords: antibiotics, biochemical parameters, blood, hematological parameters, internal organs, performance production, starter phase, symbiotics.

References

Abdel-Wareth AAA, Hammad S, Khalaphallah R, Salem WM, Lohakare J (2019) Synbiotic as eco-friendly feed additive in diets of chickens under hot climatic conditions. Poultry Science 98(10), 4575-4583.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Abou-Kassem DE, Elsadek MF, Abdel-Moneim AE, Mahgoub SA, Elaraby GM, Taha AE, Elshafie MM, Alkhawtani DM, Abd El-Hack ME, Ashour EA (2021) Growth, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and microbial aspects of growing quail fed diets enriched with two different types of probiotics (Bacillus toyonensis and Bifidobacterium bifidum). Poultry Science 100, 84-93.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Al-Khalaifah HS (2018) Benefits of probiotics and/or prebiotics for antibiotic-reduced poultry. Poultry Science 97, 3807-3815.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

AOAC (1990) ‘Official methods of analysis.’ 15th edn. (AOAC International: Arlington, VA)

Awad WA, Mann E, Dzieciol M, Hess C, Schmitz-Esser S, Wagner M, Hess M (2016) Age-related differences in the luminal and mucosa-associated gut microbiome of broiler chickens and shifts associated with Campylobacter jejuni infection. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology 6, 154.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Bai SP, Wu AM, Ding XM, Lei Y, Bai J, Zhang KY, Chio JS (2013) Effects of probiotic-supplemented diets on growth performance and intestinal immune characteristics of broiler chickens. Poultry Science 92, 663-670.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Ballou AL, Ali RA, Mendoza MA, Ellis JC, Hassan HM, Croom WJ, Koci MD (2016) Development of the chick microbiome: how early exposure influences future microbial diversity. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 3, 2.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Bilal M, Si W, Barbe F, Chevaux E, Sienkiewicz O, Zhao X (2021) Effects of novel probiotic strains of Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus subtilis on production, gut health, and immunity of broiler chickens raised under suboptimal conditions. Poultry Science 100(3), 100871.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Bonilla DA, Kreider RB, Stout JR, Forero DA, Kerksick CM, Roberts MD, Rawson ES (2021) Metabolic basis of creatine in health and disease: a bioinformatics-assisted review. Nutrients 13, 1238.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Boratto AJ, Lopes DC, Oliveira RFM, Albino LFT, Sá LM, Oliveira GA (2004) Uso de antibiótico, de probiótico e de homeopatia em frangos de corte criados em ambiente de conforto, inoculados ou não com Escherichia coli. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia 33, 1477-1485.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Bozkurt M, Alcicek A, Cabuk M (2004) The effect of dietary inclusion of meat and bone meal on the performance of laying hens at old age. South African Journal Animal Science 34, 31-36.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

BRASIL (2020) Instrução Normativa n° 1, de 13 de janeiro de 2020. Proibição em território nacional de aditivos melhoradores de desempenho que contenham antimicrobianos classificados como importantes na medicina humana. Diário Oficial da União, Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento/Secretaria de Defesa Agropecuária, Brasília, DF, 23 jan. 2020. Seção 1, ed. 16, p. 6.

Broom LJ, Kogut MH (2018) Gut immunity: its development and reasons and opportunities for modulation in monogastric production animals. Animal Health Research Reviews 19, 46-52.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Calik A, Ergün A (2015) Effect of lactulose supplementation on growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, cecal microbial population, and short-chain fatty acid composition of broiler chickens. Poultry Science 94, 2173-2182.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Casagrande MF (2012) Clostridium perfringens em ingredientes para ração de aves e controle da presença do agente utilizando tratamento químico. Dissertação (M.Sc). Universidade Federal Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho”, Jaboticabal. Available at http://hdl.handle.net/11449/94884

Castanon JIR (2007) History of the use of antibiotic as growth promoters in european poultry feeds. Poultry Science 86, 2466-2471.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Cheng G, Dai M, Ahmed S, Hao H, Wang X, Yuan Z (2016) Antimicrobial drugs in fighting against antimicrobial resistance. Frontiers in Microbiology 7, 470.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Deng Q, Shi H, Luo Y, Zhao H, Liu N (2020) Effect of dietary Lactobacilli mixture on Listeria monocytogenes infection and virulence property in broilers. Poultry Science 99, 3655-3662.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Engberg RM, Hedemann MS, Leser TD, Jensen BB (2000) Effect of zinc bacitracin and salinomycin on intestinal microflora and performance of broilers. Poultry Science 79, 1311-1319.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Feitosa TJO, Silva CE, Souza RG, Lima CDS, Gurgel AC, Oliveira LLG, Nóbrega JGS, Carvalho Júnior JEM, Melo FO, Santos WBM, Feitoza TO, Costa TF, Brandão PA, Minafra CS (2020) Intestinal microbiota of poultry: bibliographic review. Research Society and Development 9, e42952779.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Forte C, Manuali E, Abbate Y, Papa P, Vieceli L, Tentellini M, Trabalza-Marinucci M, Moscati L (2018) Dietary Lactobacillus acidophilus positively influences growth performance, gut morphology, and gut microbiology in rurally reared chickens. Poultry Science 97, 930-936.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Fu X, Liu Z, Zhu C, Mou H, Kong Q (2019) Nondigestible carbohydrates, butyrate, and butyrate-producing bacteria. Critical Reviews in Food Science Nutrition 59, S130-S152.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Gonzales E, Mello HHDC, Café MB (2012) Uso de antibióticos promotores de crescimento na alimentação e produção animal. Revista UFG 13, 48-53 Available at https://www.revistas.ufg.br/revistaufg/article/view/48453.
| Google Scholar |

Hoffmann WE, Solter PF (2008) Diagnostic enzymology of domestic animals. In ‘Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals.’ 6th edn. (Eds J Jerry Kaneko, JW Harvey, ML Bruss) pp. 351–378. (Elsevier: New York). 10.1016/B978-0-12-370491-7.00012-X

Janczak AM, Riber AB (2015) Review of rearing-related factors affecting the welfare of laying hens. Poultry Science 94, 1454-1469.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Kalani M, Rahimi SH, Salehi TZ, Hajiaghaee R, Behnamifar A (2022) Comparison the effects of probiotic and prebiotic as antibiotic alternatives on Salmonella colonization, performance, and egg quality in laying hens challenged with Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis. Iranian Journal of Veterinary Research 23(2), 154-162.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Khan S, Moore RJ, Stanley D, Chousalkar KK (2020) The gut microbiota of laying hens and its manipulation with prebiotics and probiotics to enhance gut health and food safety. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 86, e00600-20.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Kholif AE, Khattab HM, El-Shewy AA, Salem AZM, Kholif AM, El-Sayed MM, Gado HM, Mariezcurrena MD (2014) Nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation activities, serum parameters and milk production and composition of lactating goats fed diets containing rice straw treated with Pleurotus ostreatus. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 27, 357-364.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Lumeij JT (2008) Avian clincial biochemistry. In ‘Clinical biochemistry of domestic animals’. 6th edn. (Eds J Jerry Kaneko, JW Harvey, ML Brus) pp. 839–872. (Elsevier: New York). doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-370491-7.00030-1

Mindus C, van Staaveren N, Bharwani A, Fuchs D, Gostner JM, Kjaer JB, Kunze W, Mian MF, Shoveller AK, Forsythe P, Harlander-Matauschek A (2021) Ingestion of Lactobacillus rhamnosus modulates chronic stress-induced feather pecking in chickens. Scientific Reports 11, 17119.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Mohammed AA, Jiang S, Jacobs JA, Cheng HW (2019) Effect of a synbiotic supplement on cecal microbial ecology, antioxidant status, and immune response of broiler chickens reared under heat stress. Poultry Science 98, 4408-4415.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Ocejo M, Oporto B, Hurtado A (2019) 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing characterization of caecal microbiome composition of broilers and free-range slow-growing chickens throughout their productive lifespan. Scientific Reports 9, 2506.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Pavli V, Kmetec V (2006) Pathways of chemical degradation of polypeptide antibiotic bacitracin. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 29, 2160-2167.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Payling L, Fraser K, Loveday SM, Sims I, Roy N, McNabb W (2020) The effects of carbohydrate structure on the composition and functionality of the human gut microbiota. Trends in Food Science & Technology 97, 233-248.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Pourabedin M, Zhao X (2015) Prebiotics and gut microbiota in chickens. FEMS Microbiology Letters 362, fnv122.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Rahman MM, Khan MMH, Howlader MMR (2021) Effects of supplementation of probiotics instead of antibiotics to broiler diet on growth performance, nutrient retention, and cecal microbiology. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research 8(4), 534-539.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Ribeiro AG, Rabello CBV, Santos MJB, Nascimento JCS, Silva DA, Soares ESR, Manso HECCC, Medeiros-Ventura WRL, Silva Junior RV, Siqueira MA, Silva SPR (2023) Replacing bacitracin zinc antibiotic with symbiotic additive in pullet’s diet. Animal Production Science 64, AN23299.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Ricke SC, Lee SI, Kim SA, Park SH, Shi Z (2020) Prebiotics and the poultry gastrointestinal tract microbiome. Poultry Science 99, 670-677.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Rostagno HS, Albino LFT, Hannas MI, Donzele JL, Sakomura NK, Perazzo FG, Saraiva A, Teixeira ML, Rodrigues PB, Oliveira RF, Barreto SLT, Brito CO (2017) ‘Tabelas Brasileiras para aves e suínos.’ 4th edn. (Universidade Federal de Viçosa: Viçosa). Available at https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/4532766/mod_resource/content/1/Rostagno%20et%20al%202017.pdf

Sakomura NK, Rostagno HS (2007) Planejamento dos experimentos com monogástricos: correção da conversão alimentar pela mortalidade. In ‘Métodos de pesquisa em nutrição de monogástricos.’ 2th edn. pp. 30–31. (Funep: Jaboticabal)

Sandvang D, Skjoet-Rasmussen L, Cantor MD, Mathis GF, Lumpkins BS, Blanch A (2021) Effects of feed supplementation with 3 different probiotic Bacillus strains and their combination on the performance of broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens. Poultry Science 100(4), 100982.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Selaledi LA, Hassan ZM, Manyelo TG, Mabelebele M (2020) The current status of the alternative use to antibiotics in poultry production: an African perspective. Antibiotics 9(9), 594.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Sokale AO, Menconi A, Mathis GF, Lumpkins B, Sims MD, Whelan RA, Doranalli K (2019) Effect of Bacillus subtilis DSM 32315 on the intestinal structural integrity and growth performance of broiler chickens under necrotic enteritis challenge. Poultry Science 98, 5392-5400.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Swain BK, Naik PK, Chakurkar EB, Singh NP (2011) Effect of probiotic and yeast supplementation on performance, egg quality characteristics and economics of production in Vanaraja layers. Indian Journal of Poultry Science 46, 313-315.
| Google Scholar |

Toledo GSP, Costa PTC, Silva LP, Pinto D, Ferreira P, Poletto CJ (2007) Performance of broilers fed diets added of antibiotic and phytoterapic isolated or associated. Ciência Rural 37, 1760-1764.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |

Wang B, Wu Q, Yu S, Lu Q, Lv X, Zhang M, Kan Y, Wang X, Zhu Y, Wang G, Wang Q (2023) Host-derived bacillus spp. as probiotic additives for improved growth performance in broilers. Poultry Science 102, 102240.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Wales AD, Allen VM, Davies RH (2010) Chemical treatment of animal feed and water for the control of Salmonella. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 7, 3-15.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Wu XZ, Wen ZG, Hua JL (2019) Effects of dietary inclusion of Lactobacillus and inulin on growth performance, gut microbiota, nutrient utilization, and immune parameters in broilers. Poultry Science 98, 4656-4663.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Wyss M, Kaddurah-Daouk R (2000) Creatine and Creatinine Metabolism. Physiological Reviews 80, 1107-1213.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

WHO (1997) The medical impact of antimicrobial use in food animals. (World Health Organization)

Xiang Q, Wang C, Zhang H, Lai W, Wei H, Peng J (2019) Effects of different probiotics on laying performance, egg quality, oxidative status, and gut health in laying hens. Animals 9(12), 1110.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Xu H, Lu Y, Li D, Yan C, Jiang Y, Hu Z, Zhang Z, Du R, Zhao X, Zhang Y, Tian Y, Zhu Q, Liu Y, Wang Y (2023) Probiotic mediated intestinal microbiota and improved performance, egg quality and ovarian immune function of laying hens at different laying stage. Frontiers in Microbiology 14(1), 1041072.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Youssef IM, Khalil HA, Jaber FA, Alhazzaa RA, Alkholy SO, Almehmadi AM, Alhassani WE, Al-Shehri M, Hassan H, Hassan MS, Halim HSAE, El-Hack MEA, Youssef KM, Abo-Samra MA (2023) Influence of dietary mannan-oligosaccharides supplementation on hematological characteristics, blood biochemical parameters, immune response and histological state of laying hens. Poultry Science 102(11), 103071.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Zhang S, Ou J, Luo Z, Kim IH (2020) Effect of dietary β-1,3-glucan supplementation and heat stress on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, organ weight, ileum microbiota, and immunity in broilers. Poultry Science 99, 4969-4977.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |

Zhen W, Zhu T, Wang P, Guo F, Zhang K, Zhang T, Jalukar S, Zhang Y, Bai D, Zhang C, Guo Y, Wang Z, Ma Y (2023) Effect of dietary Saccharomyces-derived prebiotic refined functional carbohydrates as antibiotic alternative on growth performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens reared in a commercial farm. Poultry Science 102(6), 102671.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |