The potential of lignin and mannanoligosaccharides (MOS), as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters was evaluated in broilers. Dietary treatments included: (1) negative control (CTL-, antibiotic free); (2) positive control (CTL+, 11 mg/kg virginiamycin); (3) MOS (diet 1 + Bio-Mos: 0.2% to 21 d and 0.1% thereafter); (4) LL (diet 1 + 1.25% Alcell lignin); (5) HL (diet 1 + 2.5% Alcell lignin). Bodyweight and feed conversion were not different when broilers were fed the CTL+, MOS, LL or HL diet. Birds fed MOS or LL had increased jejunum villi height (P < 0.05) and greater goblet cell number per villus (P < 0.05) when compared to those fed the CTL+ diet. MOS and LL increased (P < 0.05) the cecal populations of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria when compared to CTL+ fed birds. However, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria loads were lowest (P < 0.05) in birds fed the CTL+ or HL diet. Litter E. coli load was reduced (P < 0.05) when birds were fed MOS than when fed the CTL+ diet, but comparable to LL or HL fed birds. In birds challenged with pathogenic strains of E. coli (O2 and O88 serotypes) and fed the MOS or HL diet, the cecal population of total E. coli was lower (P < 0.05) than those fed the CTL+ diet; LL fed birds tended to have lower E. coli load than CTL+ fed birds. In summary, birds fed the MOS or LL diet had comparative advantage over CTL+ fed birds as evidenced by increased cecal populations of Lactobacilli and Bifdobacteria, increased villi height and greater goblet cell number in the jejunum, lower E. coli load in the litter, and lower cecal population of E. coli after an in vivo challenge with pathogenic strains of E. coli. Therefore, MOS and lignin could be regarded as natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. / Key words. Antibiotics, mannanoligosaccharides, lignin, gut health, broilers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.100763 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Baurhoo, Bushansingh. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Animal Science.) |
| Rights | © Bushansingh Baurhoo, 2007 |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002597289, proquestno: AAIMR32659, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
Page generated in 0.0016 seconds