Effect of organic acids or probiotics alone or in combination on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, enzyme activities, intestinal morphology and gut microflora in broiler chickens

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of organic acids or probiotics alone or in combination on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, enzyme activity, intestinal morphology and gut microflora in broiler chickens (Ross308). A completely randomized design was used, with 1,440 broiler chicks across four treatments and five replications of 72 chicks each. The chicks in the control treatment were fed on a control diet (CD), whereas for the other treatment groups, the CD was supplemented with 0.2 g/kg organic acids (CDOA), probiotics (CDP) or a combination of organic acids and probiotics (CDOAP). All the chicks were fed ad libitum during the feeding trial throughout 35 days. A total of 20 chicks were randomly allotted to individual metabolic cages to measure the nutrient digestibility (35-42 days) and the digestive enzyme activities (42 days). The intestinal morphology and gut microflora of 80 chicks were examined at the end of experiment. There were no significant (p > .05) differences in the feed intake, body weight gain or feed conversion ratio of the chicks across the four dietary treatments. The crude fibre digestibility was significantly increased in chicks fed on CDOA or CDOAP relative to CD (p < .05). Nutrient utilization, in terms of digestive enzyme activities and excreta thermal property, was unchanged by any supplementation. The chicks fed on the CDOAP had significantly higher duodenal villi height and crypt depth than the chicks fed on CDOA (p < .05). This dietary treatment dramatically improved gut microflora by decreasing the population of Escherichia coli and increasing the Lactobacillus spp.:E. coli ratio. Based on our investigations, supplementation of organic acids and probiotics in chick diets can increase the ability to digest crude fibre and villus height and decrease intestinal E. coli without impairing growth performance.