Microencapsulated short-chain fatty acids in feed modify colonization and invasion early after infection with Salmonella enteritidis in young chickens.
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are widely used as feed additives in poultry for the control of pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella enteritidis. Recently, a new range of products was developed in which SCFA are encapsulated in mineral carriers, resulting in a slow release during the transport of these carriers through the intestinal tract. To test the efficacy of this type of products against early colonization after Salmonella infection in poultry, a challenge experiment with S. enteritidis was performed. Five groups of 20 chickens were given feed with no supplement or feed supplemented with acetic acid (0.24%), formic acid (0.22%), or propionic acid (0.27%) as film-coated microbeads or butyric acid (0.15%) as spray-cooled microcapsules. The 5 groups were challenged with 5 x 10(3) cfu S. enteritidis at d 5 and 6 posthatch, and samples of ceca, liver, and spleen were taken at d 8 and analyzed for the number of colony-forming units of Salmonella per gram of tissue. Feed supplementation with acetic acid, and to a lesser extent formic acid, resulted in an increase of colonization of ceca and internal organs. Birds receiving propionic acid-coated microbeads as feed supplement were colonized with Salmonella to the same extent as controls. Butyric acid-impregnated microbeads in the feed, however, resulted in a significant decrease of colonization by S. enteritidis in the ceca but not in liver and spleen.
Van Immerseel
F
F
Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. filip.vanimmerseel@rug.ac.be
Fievez
V
V
de Buck
J
J
Pasmans
F
F
Martel
A
A
Haesebrouck
F
F
Ducatelle
R
R
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D020148:Butyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D020148:Butyric Acid