Abstract
Purpose: To examine the effects of two commercial probiotics (Toyocerin and CloSTAT) on serum enzyme activities, and hematological and biochemical indices of broiler chickens challenged with Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium (ST).
Methods: The chicks received one of the following treatments at 0 day of age: T1 = control group, unmedicated diet, unchallenged birds, (negative control); T2 = unmedicated diet + bacterial challenge (positive control); T3 = medicated diet with neoxyval (0.05 g/kg diet) + bacterial challenge (NEOX); T4 = toyocerin (1 g/kg diet) + bacterial challenge (Toyocerin); and T5 = CloSTAT (1 g/kg diet) + bacterial challenge (COLS). Blood samples were withdrawn from 7 selected chicks in each treatment at 7, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days of age, and analyzed for total protein, albumin and globulin concentration, and the albumin: globulin ratio computed. Glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutatamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels in serum were measured on days 7 and 42.
Results: The results revealed that albumin (p < 0.001), globulin (p < 0.001) and albumin: globulin ratio (p < 0.001) were influenced by the time of blood collection. Globulin increased significantly after ST challenge while albumin decreased significantly. Glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) after ST challenge was affected by treatment (p < 0.05). Higher levels were obtained from birds which had received NEOX or positive control, compared to negative control group.
Conclusion: Salmonella challenge affects serum albumin, globulin and GOT enzyme. The results obtained suggest that the probiotic, Toyocerin, mitigates the negative effects of Salmonella challenge.