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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303824

Title: Effects of Varium and a pre-cursor formula on cytokine production in broiler chickens challenged with Eimeria maxima and Clostridium perfringens

Author
item JOHNSTON, LEANN - Amlan International
item Lillehoj, Hyun
item CHI, FANG - Amlan International
item Lee, Sung
item CRAVENS, RON - Amlan International
item CHING, SAN - Amlan International

Submitted to: Avian Immunology Research Group Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/25/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Two studies were conducted to evaluate the ability of new products with toxin binding properties on cytokine production during a necrotic enteritis challenge. A precursor (PV) formula to the product Varium (V) was tested in experiment one, and PV and V formulas were included in the second experiment. The other treatments were: no challenge, no product; challenge (C) with no product; and C+virginiamycin (20 g/ton). One day-old Ross male chickens were randomly allotted into groups (N=20). Birds were challenged with 10,000 sporulated E. maxima oocysts orally at d-14 followed by 109 CFU of a virulent field strain of C. perfringens at d-18. In addition to improved weight gain, lesion scores and decreased serum a-toxin, chickens fed these products showed decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines. Adding PV decreased intestinal IL-8, LITAF, iNOS, and TNFSF15 transcripts compared to the untreated infected control in the first experiment. In the second experiment, adding PV or V decreased IL-8, iNOS, TNFSF15 and IL-6. The effects of dietary PV or V on cytokine production were similar to adding virginiamycin in both experiments. These results indicate the beneficial effects of Varium in reducing harmful effects caused by E. maxima and C. perfringens in newly hatched birds. Toxin, necrotic enteritis, clostridium perfringens, coccidiosis