کد مقاله : DPP-007

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N. Reisinger, T. Steiner, S. Nitsch, G. Schatzmayr, and T. J. Applegate

Because of pending and current regulations, the poultry industry is searching for alternatives to growth promoting antibiotics which may include plant-derived supplements which may prevent or lessen the severity of coccidiosis. Therefore, a 2 x 2 experiment (8 pens / treatment, 26 birds / pen) was conducted with 2 doses of a coccidial vaccine (1X or 5X; Paracox® 5 administered at 1 d of age) with or without supplementation (125 g/1000 kg) with a phytogenic feed additive containing essential oils from oregano, anis and citrus peel (Biomin®P.E.P. 125 poultry). Within each pen, 13 birds received the coccidial vaccine while the remainder was naturally infected through recycling of oocytsts in the litter. One of the naturally infected birds/pen was euthanized for histological evaluation of the mid-ileum

morphology while 5/pen were collected for determination of apparent digestible energy, nitrogen, and mucin content from ileal digesta. The higher (5X) dosage of the coccidial

vaccine resulted in an 11% reduction in crypt depth (P < 0.05), but there was no effect on villius length or number of goblet cells (P > 0.05). The dosage of coccidial vaccine had no effect on the apparent digestibility of energy or nitrogen. At Paracox® 1X dosage, birds fed the phytogenic feed additive had 12% longer villi than the control fed birds (P < 0.05) with 30% more goblet cells, and 23% more goblet cells per 10 microns villius length (P < 0.05). Neither coccidial vaccine dosage nor phytogenic supplementation influenced ileal mucin content (concentration or per unit of feed intake). Birds fed the phytogenic feed additive at a Paracox® 5X dosage had 4% less apparent digestible energy (P < 0.05), however at the Paracox® 1X dosage there was no effect of the phytogenic feed additive (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the dosage of coccidial vaccine can have an influence on the crypt depth and supplementation of the diet with a phytogenic additive increased villi length and goblet cell density.