title: Single administration of xylitol to newly hatched chicks enhances growth, digestive enzyme activity and immune responses by 12 d of age.
abstract: 1. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of a single administration of xylitol to newly hatched chicks on growth, digestive enzyme activity and immune responses at 12 d of age. 2. Female broiler chicks (Cobb) were given 0.5 ml of either 20% glucose, 20% xylitol or water alone within 24 h after hatch. Thereafter, all chicks were reared under conventional conditions and given a commercial broiler starter diet until 12 d of age in experiment 1. In experiment 2, they were deprived of feed and water for 24 h and kept at 27 degrees C to mimic transportation stress before given feed and water. 3. Body weights at 5 d of age did not differ among the treatments, but at 12 d of age chicks given 20% xylitol showed greater body weight than those in the other treatment groups. Bursa weight (mg per 100 g body weight) was greater in chicks given xylitol solution than in chicks given glucose solution or water at 5 and 12 d of age. 4. Amylase and chymotrypsin activities in the pancreas of chicks given xylitol solution were higher than in chicks given water or glucose solution at 5 and/or 12 d of age. 5. A single administration of xylitol within 24 h after hatch increased splenocyte proliferation against concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen, and antibody titres to keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) and Mycobacterium butyricum (Mb) as compared to glucose, administration at 12 d of age, but not as compared to water administration. 6. These results indicated that xylitol may be a functional carbohydrate source to improve growth rate and health and to relieve transportation stress in broiler chicks.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Tsutsumidori-Amamiyamachi Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan. taka@bios.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akiba
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D000681:Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects; D014993:Xylitol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D014357:Trypsin; D005947:Glucose; D014993:Xylitol