Microencapsulated sodium butyrate on the intestinal integrity of broilers challenged with Eimeria spp.

Abstract

To explore the effect of microencapsulated sodium butyrate (MSB) on the performance, intestinal morphometry, intestinal goblet cell count, cellular turnover of the intestinal mucosa, oocyst count per gram of feces (OPG), and small intestine lesion score of broilers challenged with Eimeria spp., 1,200 Ross® male broiler chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design, with five treatments and six replications, and reared for 42 days. At 16 D-old, the birds were inoculated orally with 0.5 ml of a solution containing an Eimeria spp. pool and the treatments consisted of NC: negative control, basal diet (BD); 1,000 MSB: BD + 1,000 mg/kg MSB; 1,500 MSB: BD + 1,500 mg/kg MSB; 2,000 MSB: BD + 2,000 mg/kg MSB; PC: positive control, BD + avilamycin. No statistical differences were observed for the variables performance, intestinal morphometry or intestinal goblet cell count during the experiment. In the OPG and lesion score, a difference was observed only for periods of collection, in which greater excretion was detected seven days post-inoculation. The lesions caused by E. acervulina and E. tenella were attenuated 10- and 8-days post-inoculation, respectively and the largest lesions caused by E. maxima were observed five days post-inoculation. In the period 0–21 days, the treatments receiving MSB or antibiotic presented greater cellular turnover of the intestinal mucosa. In the period 22–42 days, the treatments with inclusion of 1,500 mg/kg MSB and 2,000 mg/kg MSB and PC showed lower cell turnover of the intestinal mucosa, indicating that MSB was able to protect the intestinal mucosa. It is concluded based turnover results that MSB benefits the intestinal development in the starter phase, and it is similar to the antibiotic in terms of preservation of the post-challenge intestinal mucosa.