title: Evaluation of the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles loaded ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage in the biological control of colibacillosis in chickens.
abstract: Disease inflicted by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes economic losses and burden to the poultry industry worldwide. In this study, the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles loaded ΦKAZ14 (C-ΦKAZ14 NPs) as an oral biological therapy for Colibacillosis was evaluated. C-ΦKAZ14 NPs containing 107PFU/ml of ΦKAZ14 (Myoviridae; T4-like coliphage) bacteriophage were used to treat experimentally APEC-infected COBB 500 broiler chicks. C-ΦKAZ14 NPs and ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage were administered orally in a single dose. The clinical symptoms, mortality, and pathology in the infected birds were recorded and compared with those of control birds that did not receive C-ΦKAZ14 NPs or naked ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage. The results showed that C-ΦKAZ14 NP intervention decreased mortality from 58.33 to 16.7% with an increase in the protection rate from 42.00 to 83.33%. The bacterial colonization of the intestines of infected birds was significantly higher in the untreated control than in the C-ΦKAZ14 NP-treated group (2.30×109± 0.02 and 0.79×103± 0.10 CFU/mL, respectively) (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, a significant difference in the fecal shedding of Escherichia coli was observed on d 7 post challenge between the untreated control and the C-ΦKAZ14 NP-treated group (2.35×109± 0.05 and 1.58×103± 0.06 CFU/mL, respectively) (P ≤ 0.05). Similar trends were observed from d 14 until d 21 when the experiment was terminated. Treatment with C-ΦKAZ14 NPs improved the body weights of the infected chicks. A difference in body weight on d 7 post challenge was observed between the untreated control and the C-ΦKAZ14 NP-treated group (140 ± 20 g and 160 ± 20 g, respectively). The increase was significant (P ≤ 0.05) on d 21 between the 2 groups (240 ± 30 g and 600 ± 80 g, respectively). Consequently, the clinical signs and symptoms were ameliorated upon treatment with C-ΦKAZ14 NPs compared with infected untreated birds. In all, based on the results, it can be concluded that the encapsulation of bacteriophage could enhance bacteriophage therapy and is a valuable approach for controlling APEC infections in poultry.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University Putra Malaysia, 43300 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.|Bacteriology Research Department, National Veterinary Research Institute, P.M.B 01, Vom, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaikabo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University Putra Malaysia, 43300 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia karimsabo@upm.edu.my.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: AbdulKarim
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University Putra Malaysia, 43300 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D048271:Chitosan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003090:Coliphages / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000821:virology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D048271:Chitosan
keywords: C-ΦKAZ14 NPs; COBB 500 broiler chicks; Escherichia coli; chitosan; ΦKAZ14