Effect of some antibiotic alternatives on experimentally escherichia coli infected broiler chicks

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of antibiotic alternatives as prebiotic, organic acid and antibiotic supplementation to the broiler chicks on their protective effect against artificial infection with ciprofloxacin marked E.coli O25 that previously isolated from diseased chicken in Kafr elsheikh governorate, growth performance, survival rate, immunity, serum biochemistry and response to NDV.

three-hundred and fifty-day-old broiler chicks were divided into 7 equal groups, 50 chicks each ; group 1 was kept as control.

chicks of group 2 was infected orally with 0.2 ml of E.coli O25 containing 1x108 viable organism/ml in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and kept as infected control group.

chicks of group 3 received organic acid (Butyric) from 1st day of age in water (2ml/liter).

chicks of group 4 received prebiotic (Hydrostar®) from 1st day of age in water (0.5ml/liter).

chicks of group 5 received antibiotic (Neomycin) in water (1gm/liter), chicks of group 6 received prebiotic (Hydrostar®) and antibiotic (Neomycin).

chicks of group 7 received organic acid (Butyric) and antibiotic (Neomycin).

neomycin was applied for 5 successive days beginning from 48 hrs post infection.

At 15 days of age chicks of treated groups (3-7) were orally inoculated with 0.2 ml of PBS containing 1 x 108 viable organism/ml of E.

coli O25.

our results showed that the birds received organic acid (Butyric acid) (G3) and prebiotic (Hydrostar®) (G4) showed more favorable clinical signs, mortality rate, post mortem lesions, recovery rate, bacterial re-isolation results, growth performance and improved immune response to NDV.

a decrease in the mean values of serum ALT and AST and creatinine levels and increase in mean values of albumin, globulin and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) were recorded that may provide evidence for the hepato and renoprotective effects of organic acid (Butyric acid) and prebiotic (Hydrostar®).

It could be concluded that prebiotic (Hydrostar®) and organic acid (Butyric acid) can be used as antibiotic alternatives due to their high effective growth promoting, antibacterial and positive impact on liver, kidney functions and antioxidant enzymes.

this study highly recommends the use of hydrostar® and butyric acid as therapeutic agents in dealing with E.

coli infection in chickens however, its concurrent administration with neomycin in treatment of such case revealed the most favorable outcomes.