title: The effects of dietary non-starch polysaccharides on Ascaridia galli infection in grower layers.
abstract: This study examined whether Ascaridia galli infection can be controlled by dietary non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in chickens. One-day-old chicks were fed either a basal diet (CON) or CON plus insoluble NSP (I-NSP), or CON plus soluble NSP (S-NSP) for 11 weeks. Three weeks later, birds from half of each feeding group were inoculated with 250 embryonated eggs of A. galli, and slaughtered 8 weeks post-infection to determine worm counts. Both NSP diets, particularly S-NSP, increased prevalence of infection (P<0·05) and worm burden (roughly +50%) of the birds (P<0·001). A. galli infection caused a less efficient (P=0·013) feed utilization for body weight gain (BWG) resulting in lower body weights (P<0·001) irrespective of type of diet consumed. NSP-fed birds, particularly those on I-NSP, consumed more (+8%) feed per unit BWG and showed retarded (P<0·001) BW development compared to CON-fed birds. Intracaecal pH was lowered by S-NSP (P<0·05). Both NSP diets increased the volatile fatty acids pool size in caeca (P<0·001) with S-NSP exerting a greater effect (+46%) than I-NSP (+24%). It is concluded that both NSPs supplemented diets alter gastrointestinal environment in favour of the nematode establishment, and thus have no potential for controlling A. galli infection in chickens.
authors.affiliation: University of Göttingen, Department of Animal Sciences, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. gdas@gwdg.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daş
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humburg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rautenschlein
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Breves
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gauly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001197:Ascaridia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001198:Ascaridiasis / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides