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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #62945

Title: DIETARY INTERACTIONS WITH COCCIDIOSIS

Author
item Allen, Patricia
item Augustine, Patricia

Submitted to: Poultry Health and Processing National Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/18/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Coccidiosis, caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria cost the American poultry industry about $ 350 million annually, as a result of production losses and the necessity to use prophylactic medication in the feed. Emergence of drug resistant strains of coccidia has raised the potential for increased production losses, and has stimulated searches for alternative methods of coccidiosis control, such as dietary modulation of coccidia infections. This talk describes current research on two applications of dietary modulation that are ongoing at this laboratory. In one application, highly unsaturated fatty acids from natural sources such as fish oil and flaxseed were added to standard rations to provide dietary induced oxidative stress. This was effective in controlling the cecal parasite, E. tenella, but not the mid-small intestinal parasite, E. maxima. In the other application, the synergistic anticoccidial mode of action of betaine, a feed additive derived from beet sugar molasses, is being investigated. In tissue culture, betaine is not toxic to invasive forms of E. tenella or E. acervulina, an upper small intestinal parasite. However, betaine added to feed reduces invasion and development of E. acervulina but not E. tenella in infected chickens. The findings show that dietary modulation of coccidiosis is possible, and lay the foundation for further investigations.

Technical Abstract: Emergence of drug resistant strains of coccidia has raised the potential for increased production losses from coccidiosis, an already costly disease, and has stimulated searches for alternative methods of coccidiosis control, such as dietary modulation of coccidia infections. This talk describes current research on two ongoing applications of dietary modulation at this laboratory: 1) effects of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3FA) from natural sources on performance of broiler chickens infected with E. tenella a cecal parasite, or E. maxima, a parasite of the mid small intestine; and 2) enhancement of anticoccidial effectiveness against E. tenella or E. acervulina, a parasite of the duodenum, by dietary supplementation with betaine. Diets high in omega-3 FA were protective against E. tenella, but not E. maxima. Betaine, a product derived from beet sugar molasses enhances the effectiveness of anticoccidials but its mode of action is unknown. In tissue culture, betaine was not toxic to sporozoites of E. tenella or E. acervulina, and did not affect their development. On the other hand in vivo, betaine supplementation of the feed decreased invasion and development of E. acervulina but not E. tenella in infected chickens. These studies show that dietary modulation of coccidia infections is possible, and provide a foundation for further, refined studies.