Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144261
Title: BETA-GLUCAN SUPPLEMENTED FEED DECREASES SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS ORGAN INVASION IN IMMATURE CHICKS

Author
item LOWRY, VIRGINIA - TX A&M UNIV
item FERRO, PAMELA - TX A&M UNIV
item Swaggerty, Christina - Christi
item BAHL, ARUN - IMMUDYNE, INC
item Kogut, Michael - Mike

Submitted to: World Veterinary Poultry Association
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/21/2003
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The innate immune system of neonatal poultry is immunologically inefficient during the first week post-hatch, enabling pathogens such as Salmonella enteritidis to invade and colonize the visceral organs. Beta-glucan (in vitro) is well documented in the literature as an immunopotentiator of neutrophils and macrophages in mammals. The premise of the present study was to demonstrate the efficacy of Beta-glucan, a feed supplement, (in vivo) to decrease the incidence of SE organ invasion in neonatal poultry. The data herein demonstrate a significant difference (P<0.05) in SE organ invasion between chicks consuming Beta-glucan treated feed versus untreated feed; both experimental groups were orally challenged with SE. The SE challenge group (untreated feed) had an organ invasion rate of 76% SE positive (liver/spleen) whereas the Beta-glucan treated group was 7% SE positive (L/S). Beta-glucan administered as an antimicrobial immunopotentiator in feed to young poultry would provide producers an alternative to traditional antimicrobial chemotherapies currently in use. Future in vitro studies will determine the mechanism(s) at the cellular level involving Beta-glucan as an immunopotentiator of the avian innate immune system.