The Beneficial Effects of Components of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) in the Poultry Industry

Plant-based antimicrobial agents are readily available, cost-effective, and exhibit low toxicity, making them promising alternatives in combatting microbial infections. Among these plants, garlic (Allium sativum) stands out for its traditional medicinal use in effectively combating various microorganisms. In the poultry industry, preventing avian virus and bacterial infections is paramount for chicken husbandry. However, using conventional drugs poses potential risks to human health. Garlic, a widely used Asian plant in traditional medicine for various pathologies, has shown potential as an herbal prophylactic remedy against viral and bacterial infections. Recently, researchers explored garlic and its derivatives as a scientific strategy in veterinary practices for diverse purposes, such as improving poultry production characteristics and acting as antibiotic growth promoters. This comprehensive review delves into garlic and its derivatives as preventive and corrective treatments for viral diseases in laying hens and broilers. The paper highlights their potential effectiveness and safety as a natural means to enhance poultry health and welfare while mitigating the risks associated with conventional drug usage in the food industry.

Increased CO2 Levels during the First Half of Incubation at High Altitude Modifies Embryonic Development of Fertile Leghorn Breeder Eggs

The exchange of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) within an incubator has a significant impact on embryonic development (ED) and hatching processes. This study examines the influence of non-ventilation (NV) conditions during the first ten days of incubation at high altitudes on Leghorn hens hatching eggs. Five hundred four hatching eggs were equally divided into three treatment groups and placed in twelve incubators (R = 4). The first group was subjected to standard ventilated conditions (V) during the setting phase. The ventilation inlet holes of the remaining incubators in the NV treatments were closed with either micropore (M) or polypropylene (P) tape, referred to as NVM and NVP groups, respectively. These two different airtight settings were intended to allow for a gradual rise in CO2 naturally generated by the embryos. Results indicate that carbon dioxide concentration gradually increased during the first half of incubation, reaching 1.42% in the NVM group and 1.20% in the NVP group, while the V condition group remained at 0.15%. From 10 days of incubation onwards, normal V conditions were restored in all incubators. The highest hatchability of fertile eggs (HFE) was shown by the NVP group (55.7%), followed by the V (52.6%) and NVM (38.6%) groups. The NVP group showed a greater yolk-free body mass (YFBM) from 10 days of incubation until the hatch basket transfer. NV conditions during the first 10 days of incubation at high altitude produced higher YFBM with gradually decreasing yolk sac mass. In comparison to the NVM and V conditions, the particular NVP condition showed a beneficial impact on the quality of hatched chicks. Sustaining NVP condition (1.2% of CO2) throughout the first half of incubation at high altitude generated the optimal environment in the incubator ensuring the best hatchability results. This study highlights how important it is for hatchery managers to recognize the influence of low O2 and high levels of CO2 on the development trajectories of Leghorn embryos during early incubation at high altitudes.

Correlation between Intestinal Health and Coccidiosis Prevalence in Broilers during Different Seasons of the Year in Brazil from 2012 to 2018

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by intracellular protozoan parasites, specifically belonging to the genus Eimeria. These parasites target the gastrointestinal tract in different types of hosts, causing sores in the intestinal lining. The presence of these lesions reduces the animal’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients, significantly impacting their overall performance. The current study aimed to explore the potential correlation between seasonal variations and the incidence of Eimeria spp-induced lesions in broiler chickens’ gastrointestinal tracts in Brazil from 2012 to 2018. A total of 8,607 broiler chickens, aged 14 to 42 days, were sampled from 103 poultry integrated companies in Brazil to conduct intestinal health examinations. The sampling process involved selecting 3 to 6 chickens from each poultry house for examination. The assessment included various abnormalities such as shedding of intestinal cells and excessive fluid and mucus presence, thickening and tension of the intestines, food movement, roughened mucosal surface resembling a Turkish towel in the small intestine, tissue death, duodenal inflammation, intestinal inflammation, gizzard erosion, presence of worms and bedding material, and ingestion of mealworms. During the seasons, winter exhibited the highest average occurrence of Eimeria maxima microorganisms at 52.83%, with E. acervulina following closely at 26.42% in second place. In spring, E. maxima had an occurrence of 11.31%, while in fall, E. tenella had the lowest occurrence at 6.74%. When analyzing the seasonal occurrence of Eimeria, it was observed that E. maxima micro was more common during winter compared to summer (P = 0.0491). However, no discernible variation was observed in the occurrence of the remaining species across different seasons. Research findings suggest that subclinical coccidiosis is most prevalent during the winter season in Brazil. Likewise, clinical disease caused by E. acervulina is also prevalent during this time. In contrast, E. maxima is more likely to cause clinical disease in the spring, whereas E. tenella is more commonly associated with clinical disease in the fall. Lesions induced by Eimeria spp. are associated with factors influencing the overall health of broiler intestines. These findings allow for the utilization of seasonal metrics in disease management, thereby reducing economic losses associated with the condition.

Essential Oils as an Alternative to Antibiotics to Reduce the Incidence and Severity of Necrotic Enteritis in Broiler Chickens: A Short Review

Due to the removal of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) and consumer pressure for antibiotic-free (ABF) or no antibiotics ever (NAE) poultry production, there is a need for sustainable alternatives to prevent disease in commercial poultry operations. Without AGPs, there has been a rise in diseases that were traditionally controlled by subtherapeutic levels of antibiotics in the diet. This has impacted the health of commercial poultry and has been a significant cost to poultry producers. To mitigate this, the industry has started to investigate alternatives to antibiotics to treat these forthcoming health issues, such as necrotic enteritis (NE). NE is an enteric disease caused by an over proliferation of toxigenic Clostridium perfringens (CP) in the gastrointestinal tract. Although CP is a commensal in the avian intestinal tract, dysbiosis caused by inflammation and impaired intestinal integrity facilitates uncontrolled replication of CP. Infectious agents, such as Eimeria maxima, appear to be a predominant predisposing factor that promotes NE. However, non-infectious stressors, including dietary changes, have also been associated with NE to some degree. As a result of increased pressure to restrict the use of antibiotics, there is a need for research evaluating the efficacy of alternatives, such as plant-derived essential oils, as potential tools to mitigate NE in commercial poultry flocks. The aim of this study is to review the effects of essential oils as an alternative to antibiotics to reduce the incidence and severity of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens.

Isolation and Progeny Transmission of Non-Temperature-Sensitive MS-H Vaccine Strains of Mycoplasma synoviae from Temperature-Sensitive MS-H-Vaccinated Laying Breeder Hens

This pilot study reports the vertical transmission and reverse thermosensitivity of the MS-H vaccine strain of Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) by RAPD in commercial breeders and their progeny. At two weeks of age, breeders were vaccinated with the ts+ MS-H strain. At 9 weeks of age, an outbreak of infectious synovitis (IS) was detected in the progeny. Tracheal swab samples were collected from breeders at 24, 39, 48, and 70 weeks of age. At 9 weeks, pullets swab from the elbow joints were collected. RAPD was performed on the isolates at 39.5°C, and the same ts- MS-H strains were identified in the breeder hens and their progeny. Tracheal swabs from breeder hens were negative to MS isolation at 37°C and 39.5°C at 24- and 39-weeks. MS isolation was recovered from tracheal swabs from 9/10 and 10/10 breeders at 48- and 70- week. At 9 weeks of age in the progeny, MS was isolated from tracheal swabs of 10/10 from non-IS pullets. MS was isolated from 9/10 joints samples. The isolates from breeder hens and their progeny showed non-significant differences in five antimycoplasmic MIC100 values;otherwise, enrofloxacin presented a significant difference in MIC100 value (p < 0.05). This investigation demonstrated the reversal of the thermosensitivity, pathogenicity, and vertical transmission of the MS-H strain. Consequently, it is crucial to contemplate the danger of reversing pathogenicity and transmission to progeny when applying the MS-H vaccine strain.

Evaluation of curcumin and copper acetate against Salmonella Typhimurium infection,intestinal permeability,and cecal microbiota composition in broiler chickens

Background:Interest in the use of natural feed additives as an alternative to antimicrobials in the poultry industry has increased in recent years because of the risk of bacterial resistance.One of the most studied groups are polyphenolic compounds,given their advantages over other types of additives and their easy potentiation of effects when complexes are formed with metal ions.Therefore,the objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dietary supplementation of copper acetate(CA),curcumin(CR),and their combination(CA-CR)against Salmonella Typhimurium colonization,intestinal permeability,and cecal microbiota composition in broiler chickens through a laboratory Salmonella infection model.S.Typhimurium recovery was determined on day 10 post-challenge by isolating Salmonella in homogenates of the right cecal tonsil(12 chickens per group)on Xylose Lysine Tergitol-4(XLT-4)with novobiocin and nalidixic acid.Intestinal integrity was indirectly determined by the fluorometric measurement of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran(FITC-d)in serum samples from blood obtained on d 10 post-S.Typhimurium challenge.Finally,microbiota analysis was performed using the content of the left caecal tonsil of 5 chickens per group by sequencing V4 region of 16S rRNA gene.Results:The results showed that in two independent studies,all experimental treatments were able to significantly reduce the S.Typhimurium colonization in cecal tonsils(CT,P<0.0001)compared to the positive control(PC)group.However,only CA-CR was the most effective treatment in reducing S.Typhimurium counts in both independent studies.Furthermore,the serum fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran(FITC-d)concentration in chickens treated with CR was significantly lower when compared to PC(P=0.0084),which is related to a decrease in intestinal permeability and therefore intestinal integrity.The effect of dietary treatments in reducing Salmonella was further supported by the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences using Linear discriminant analysis effect size(LEfSe)since Salmonella was significantly enriched in PC group(LDA score>2.0 and P<0.05)compared to other groups.In addition,Coprobacillus,Eubacterium,and Clostridium were significantly higher in the PC group compared to other treatment groups.On the contrary,Fecalibacterium and Enterococcus in CR,unknown genus of Erysipelotrichaceae at CA-CR,and unknown genus of Lachnospiraceae at CA were significantly more abundant respectively.Conclusions:CR treatment was the most effective treatment to reduce S.Typhimurium intestinal colonization and maintain better intestinal homeostasis which might be achieved through modulation of cecal microbiota.

Combination of a <i>Lactobacillus</i>-Based Probiotic and Organic Acids Decrease Egg to Chick Weight Loss and Reduce <i>Salmonella</i>spp. Counts in the Litter of Commercial Broiler Breeders

The effects of supplementing a blend of organic acids (OA) and a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) based-probiotic on egg to chick weight loss (%) and Salmonella spp. recovery counts in the litter of commercial broiler breeders were examined in three independent trials during the years 2013, 2014 and 2015. In each trial, ten thousand birds were divided into two groups of 5000 birds (4500 females and 500 males in each group): Control non-treated group, receiving regular water or treated group, receiving OA and probiotic in the drinking water from 25 to 35 weeks of age. During the ten weeks of evaluation, one thousand fertile eggs or hatched chickens in each trial respectively, were evaluated to obtained, hatching set weight, transferred egg weight, and hatching chick weight, to estimate the difference between egg to chick weight loss (%). Besides, in trial 2 (2014) and trial 3 (2015), litter samples were collected to evaluate Salmonella spp. counts. The supplementation of OA and probiotic during ten consecutive weeks significantly decreased the egg to chick weight loss (%) when compared with the control non-treated groups in all three trials evaluated. Interestingly, at the end of the trials 2 and 3, no counts of Salmonella spp. in the litter were detected. In contrast, control-non treated groups resulted in 4.30 and 4.24 Log10 of Salmonella spp. in trials two and three respectively. The results of the present study suggest that supplementation of OA and a LAB-probiotic for ten consecutive weeks decrease the egg to chick weight loss (%) and reduce Salmonella spp. counts in the litter of commercial broiler breeders. Higher initial body weight in broiler chickens and reduction of Salmonella spp., clearly justify the use of the combination of these products, as alternatives to antibiotics.