Prophylactic supplementation of caprylic acid in feed reduces Salmonella enteritidis colonization in commercial broiler chicks.
Salmonella Enteritidis is a major foodborne pathogen for which chickens serve as reservoir hosts. Reducing Salmonella Enteritidis carriage in chickens would reduce contamination of poultry meat and eggs with this pathogen. We investigated the prophylactic efficacy of feed supplemented with caprylic acid (CA), a natural, generally recognized as safe eight-carbon fatty acid, for reducing Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in chicks. One hundred commercial day-old chicks were randomly divided into five groups of 20 birds each: CA control (no Salmonella Enteritidis, CA), positive control (Salmonella Enteritidis, no CA), negative control (no Salmonella Enteritidis, no CA), and 0.7 or 1% CA. Water and feed were provided ad libitum. On day 8, birds were inoculated with 5.0 log CFU of Salmonella Enteritidis by crop gavage. Six birds from each group were euthanized on days 1, 7, and 10 after challenge, and Salmonella Enteritidis populations in the cecum, small intestine, cloaca, crop, liver, and spleen were enumerated. The study was replicated three times. CA supplementation at 0.7 and 1% consistently decreased Salmonella Enteritidis populations recovered from the treated birds. Salmonella Enteritidis counts in the tissue samples of CA-treated chicks were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of control birds on days 7 and 10 after challenge. Feed intake and body weight did not differ between the groups. Histological examination revealed no pathological changes in the cecum and liver of CA-supplemented birds. The results suggest that prophylactic CA supplementation through feed can reduce Salmonella Enteritidis colonization in day-old chicks and may be a useful treatment for reducing Salmonella Enteritidis carriage in chickens.
Department of Animal Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA.
Anup Kollanoor
AK
Johny
Sangeetha Ananda
SA
Baskaran
Anu Susan
AS
Charles
Mary Anne Roshni
MA
Amalaradjou
Michael J
MJ
Darre
Mazhar I
MI
Khan
Thomas A
TA
Hoagland
David T
DT
Schreiber
Annie M
AM
Donoghue
Dan J
DJ
Donoghue
Kumar
K
Venkitanarayanan
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002210:Caprylates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002353:Carrier State; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology; D002645:Chickens; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000382:microbiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002210:Caprylates; C031492:octanoic acid