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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #161991

Title: UTILIZATION OF AN EXPERIMENTAL CHLORATE PRODUCT IN REDUCTION OF NECROTIC ENTERITIS IN BROILER CHICKENS

Author
item McReynolds, Jackson
item Byrd Ii, James - Allen
item Anderson, Robin
item Edrington, Thomas
item Poole, Toni
item Moore, Randle
item Kubena, Leon
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Poultry Science Association Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2004
Publication Date: 7/25/2004
Citation: McReynolds, J.L., Byrd II, J.A., Anderson, R.C., Edrington, T.S., Poole, T.L., Moore, R.W., Kubena, L.F., Nisbet, D.J. 2004. Utilization of an experimental chlorate product in reduction of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens [abstract]. Poultry Science. 83(Suppl. 1):103.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Clostridium perfringens (CP) is one of the etiologic agents of Necrotic enteritis (NE). The clinical signs of this disease include depression, decreased appetite, diarrhea, and severe necrosis of the intestinal tract. Development of new technologies to combat this costly disease is needed in the commercial poultry industry. In the present investigation, in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to determine the effects of an experimental chlorate product (ECP) on CP. In the in vitro study intestinal contents were obtained from single comb White Leghorn laying hens and diluted (1:1) with thioglycollate enrichment medium. The contents were divided into six 10 mL aliquots and assigned to the following experimental groups: a control, ECP with a 5 mM chlorate ion equivalent, or ECP with a 10 mM chlorate ion equivalent (2 replicates/group). The effects of ECP were evaluated in vitro over time. By 3 h there was a significant reduction in CP (P < 0.05) in the 5 mM ECP (3.88 Log10), and 10 mM ECP (3.29 Log10) when compared to the control (5.51 Log 10). In the in vivo experiment, evaluations of the ECP administered in the drinking water and in the feed (1X ECP is equivalent to a 15 mM chlorate ion concentration) showed reductions in clinical signs associated with NE. Lesion scores were reduced significantly in birds fed the ECP (1.25) when compared to the controls (2.1). The incidence of CP and mortality were also reduced significantly in birds fed the ECP. Populations of generic E. coli were significantly lower in all of the treatment groups compared to the controls. These results indicate that an ECP may provide the poultry industry with an additional management tool for controlling NE.