Research Number (7)

Effect of a Specific Combination of Mannan-Oligosaccharides and β-Glucans Extracted from Yeast Cell Wall on the Health Status

and Growth Performance of Ochratoxicated Broiler Chickens

M. H. H. Awaad1, A. M. Atta2, Wafaa A. Abd ElGhany1, M. Elmenawey2, K. Ahmed3; A. A. Hassan4, A. A. Nada4 and G. A. Abdelaleem1

1Poultry Diseases Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

2Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

3 Pathology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

4Animal Health Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt.

Aim of the workThis study was conducted in an attempt to

investigate the possible effect of a specific combination of Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and β-glucans (AGRIMOS®)

extracted from the yeast cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on productive performance, ochratoxicosis and immune dysfunction caused by ochratoxin in broiler chickens.

Experimental designThree hundred and sixty, day-old broiler chickens

were allotted into 4 equal groups (I-IV) of 90 birds assigned to 3 replicates of 30 each for 5 weeks.

Group I was fed on ration containing ochratoxin (OTA) and group II was fed on ration containing OTA+AGRIMOS® for the first 3 weeks of age.

Groups II and IV were fed on plain ration ad libitum (control and AGRIMOS® treated groups, respectively).

(AGRIMOS®) was supplemented at 2 kg/ ton of feed. At 35 days of age, 10 chickens from each group were

challenged (I/M) with VvND virus.

Measured parametersZootechnical performance:

Body weight, Body weight gain, Feed consumption, Feed conversion, and performance indices (Point spread, performance index and European Performance Efficiency Factor) were calculated weekly. Cumulative Mortality rate was calculated.

Immunoassay:

Cell mediated: Phagocytic activity of macrophage (% and index), lysozyme and nitric oxide activities (3 and 5 weeks of age).

Humoral: HI against ND vaccination (weekly).

Bursa/ body weight ratio (3 and 5 weeks of age).Histopathological assay:

Liver, kidneys, Bursa of Fabricus, spleens and thymus glands

were collected (3 and 5 weeks of age).

ResultsNo significant (P<0.05) difference in all zootechnical performance

parameters between AGRIMOS® treated and control groups. OTA treated birds exhibited the lowest significant (P<0.05) body weight and weight gain.

OTA+AGRIMOS® treated birds showed significant (P<0.05) difference over OTA treated birds concerning body weight and weight gain.

Point Spread and Performance and Index were significantly (P<0.05) higher in OTA+AGRIMOS® treated birds versus OTA treated ones.

OTA did affect bird’s growth one week after the contamination, although the final weight gain after 5 weeks was not different from the control.

The use of AGRIMOS® stimulated the overall daily gain compared to the OTA group. Feed intake and feed conversion were not affected by the dietary treatments.

Cumulative mortality was similar between treatments and AGRIMOS® treated group recoded the lowest value. for the OTA challenged regimes.

AGRIMOS® treated group showed significant (P<0.05) increase in Nitric oxide, phagocytic indices at 3 and 5 weeks of age when compared with control group.

For OTA treated group, phagocytic index and % and Nitric oxide were affected at both sampling time (lower significant figures) compared with AGRIMOS® , OTA+AGRIMOS® and control group.

No difference in phagocytic index and % in OTA+AGRIMOS® and control group.

HI titers revealed that OTA treated group exhibited significant (P<0.05) lower antibodies titers than AGRIMOS® and those OTA+AGRIMOS® treated birds.

At 5 weeks age, Bursa/body weight index was significantly (P<0.05) the lowest in OTA treated group compared to AGRIMOS® treated and control groups. OTA+AGRIMOS® showed intermediate results.

VvND virus challenged birds showed higher lesion score (2.6) in group fed on OTA. No significant difference was recorded among other groups (0.9, 0.7 and 0.8) for OTA+AGRIMOS®, control and AGRIMOS® treated groups, respectively.

Results

IOTA

IIControl

IIIOTA+

AGRIMO®

IVAGRIMOS

Body weight (g)on d 1wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5

40.4149.7b

360.0b

746.2b

1454.2b

2022.7c

39.8153.2a

404.1a

813.0a

1507.3ab

2061.2bc

40.7152.1a

405.4a

838.4a

1542.3a

2157.2a

39.6156.9a

414.7a

823.6a

1549.4a

2120.4ab

Body gain (g)wk 0-1wk 1-2wk 2-3wk 3-4wk 4-5wk 1-5

109.3210.7b381.0b

691.9578.4

1982.3c

113.2250.9a

408.9ab

660.8554.0

2021.5bc

111.4253.4a427.1a

688.5586.2

2116.9a

117.3258.3a409.3ab

710.8571.0

2080.7ab

Daily feed intake (g/head)d 1-35 157.1 145.5 148.3 157.1FCRd 1-35 1.577 1.477 1.480 1.537Mortality (%)wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 1-5

0.00.00.0

6.07b3.039.1

0.03.036.070.0a0.09.1

3.033.030.0

0.0a0.0

6.07

0.00.0

6.070.0a3.039.1

Point spread (%) 288.2b 306.5ab 329.2a 314.2ab

Performance Index 283.5b 308.3ab 322.8a 305.0ab

EPEF 317.0 342.9 359.9 351.7

Average body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, mortality and performance indexes (two-way ANOVA)

FCR: Feed conversion rateEPEF: European Performance Efficiency Factor

Values in the same row with different superscripts a,b,c were significantly (P<0.05) different. Number of samples per group = 90

AgeI

OTAII

ControlIII

OTA+AGRIMOS

IVAGRIMOS

Phagocytic % 3 wk 58.33b 61.25b 61.00b 65.50a

5 wk 59.00b 60.50b 63.75b 71.00a

Phagocytic index 3 wk 0.080b 0.123b 0.133b 0.253a

5wk 0.100b 0.140b 0.160b 0.258a

Lysozyme (µg/ml) 3 wk 9.85ab 2.73b 17.00a 9.85ab

5 wk 9.85a3 6.28a 9.85a 7.53a

Nitricoxide (µg/ml) 3 wk 10.75c 13.25bc 17.75ab 19.50a

5 wk 17.50a 21.25a 24.50a 17.50a

Macrophage activity, serum lysozyme activity and Nitric oxide content at 3 and 5 weeks of age

Values in the same row with different superscripts a,b,c were significantly (P<0.05) different. Number of samples per group = 10.

Haemaglutination inhibition (HI) against Newcastle disease virus (NDv) during the first 35 days of chickens’ life.

Bursa weight and Bursa/Body weight indexes of ochratoxicated and non-ochratoxicated, AGRIMOS® treated and untreated chickens versus blank control chicken groups

Macroscopic lesion scores of velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle disease virus (VVNDv) challange of ochratoxicated and non-ochratoxicated AGRIMOS® treated and untreated chickens versus blank chicken group.

Photo 1: Liver (gr.I) showing chronic cholangitis. Notice the fibrous connective tissue proliferation and massive inflammatory cells infiltration in the wall of bile duct (arrow) (H&E x200)

Photo 2: Liver (gr.I) showing focal hepatic necrosis replaced by mononuclear leucocytes (arrow) (H&E x200)

Photo 3: Liver (gr.IV) showing vacular degeneration of centrolobular hepatocytes (arrow) (H&E x200)

Photo 4: Liver (gr.III) showing vacular degeneration of hepatocytes, slight thickening in the wall of bile ducts associated with leucocytic cells infiltration (arrow) (H&E x200)

Photo 7: Kidney (gr. III) showing peritubular leucocytic cells infiltration (arrow) (H & E x200)

Photo 8: Bursa of Fabricius (gr. I) showing vaculations of lymphoid follicles (arrow) (H & E x200)

Photo 6: Kidney (gr.I) showing multiple focal areas of necrosis completely replaced by massive leucocytes (arrow) (H&E x100)Photo 5: Kidney (gr.I) showing massive interstitial haemorrhage

(arrow) (H&E x100)

Photo 13: Thymus gland (gr. III & IV) showing no histopathological altrations (H & E x00)

Photo 12: Thymus gland (gr. I) showing focal thymic haemorrhage (arrow) (H & E x100)

Photo 11: Spleen (gr. III & IV) showing no histopathological changes (H & E x200)

Photo 10: Spleen (gr. I) showing atrophy of lymphoid follicles (arrow) (H & E x200)

Photo 9: Bursa of Fabricius (gr. III & IV) showing no histopathological changes (H & E x100)

ConclusionAdministration of a specific combination of

Mannan-oligosaccharides and β-glucans extracted form yeast cell wall (AGRIMOS®) to chickens improved zootechnical parameters and had a potent immunomodulatory effect in the form of evoking immune response and enhancing vaccination effectiveness.

Also, it helps not only in controlling chicken ochratoxicosis but also can play a positive role in treating chicken immune dysfunction.