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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #216373
Title: Caprylic Acid supplemented in feed reduces enteric Campylobacter jejuni colonization in ten-day-old broiler chickens

Author
item SANTOS, FAUSTO - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item Donoghue, Ann - Annie
item VENKITANARAYANAN, K - UNIV OF CONNETICUT
item DIRAIN, M - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item REYES-HERRERA, I - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item BLORE, PAM - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item DONOGHUE, DAN - UNIV OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/19/2007
Publication Date: 4/1/2008
Citation: Santos, F., Donoghue, A.M., Venkitanarayanan, K., Dirain, M.L., Reyes-Herrera, I., Blore, P.J., Donoghue, D.J. 2008. Caprylic Acid supplemented in feed reduces enteric Campylobacter jejuni colonization in ten-day-old broiler chickens. Poultry Science. 87:800-804.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter is one of the leading causes of human food-borne illness in the United States, and epidemiological evidence indicates poultry and poultry products to be a significant source of human Campylobacter infections. Reducing Campylobacter in the intestinal tract would reduce contamination of poultry products and eggs. Caprylic acid, an 8-carbon medium chain fatty acid has been shown to be bactericidal against several pathogenic bacteria. It has, however, not been tested in the control of Campylobacter in chickens. Four trials were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of caprylic acid against cecal Campylobacter jejuni colonization in 10 d old chicks In all four trials, a low dose of caprylic acid consistently reduced Campylobacter content counts compared to the positive control. At the higher doses, caprylic acid reduced feed consumption and body weight, but did not effect feed conversion when compared to the positive controls. These data suggest that low dose supplementation with caprylic acid in feed may reduce Campylobacter colonization in young chickens.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter is one of the leading causes of human food-borne illness in the United States, and epidemiological evidence indicates poultry and poultry products to be a significant source of human Campylobacter infections. Reducing Campylobacter in the intestinal tract would reduce contamination of poultry products and eggs. Caprylic acid, an 8-carbon medium chain fatty acid has been shown to be bactericidal against several pathogenic bacteria. It has, however, not been tested in the control of Campylobacter in chickens. Four trials were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of caprylic acid against cecal Campylobacter jejuni colonization in 10 d old chicks. In the first two trials, d of hatch chicks (n=40 per trial) were assigned to negative controls (no Campylobacter, no caprylic acid), positive controls (Campylobacter, no caprylic acid), a low (0.7%) and a high (1.4%) dose of caprylic acid supplemented in regular chick starter feed (n= 10 chicks/treatment). Two more trials were carried out to evaluate a wider range of caprylic acid doses on cecal Campylobacter counts, where day of hatch chicks (n=90 per trial) were assigned to nine treatments: negative controls (no Campylobacter, no caprylic acid) and caprylic acid doses of 0% (positive controls) 0.35%, 0.525%, 0.7%, 0.875%, 1.05%, 1.225% and 1.4% (n=10 chicks/treatment). Except for the negative controls, chicks were orally gavaged with approximately 1 x 106 cfu Campylobacter on d 3. On d 10, cecal contents were collected and Campylobacter concentrations were determined in each trial. In all four trials, the 0.7% dose of caprylic acid consistently reduced Campylobacter content counts compared to the positive control. In Trials 3 and 4, doses less than 1.05% consistently reduced cecal Campylobacter content in both trials. At the higher doses, caprylic acid reduced feed consumption and body weight, but did not effect feed conversion when compared to the positive controls. These data suggest that low dose supplementation with caprylic acid in feed may reduce Campylobacter colonization in young chickens.