Phileo by Lesaffre > Program Gut Health Broiler

Broilers Program Gut Health

The first concern is inflammatory stress, due to high feed intake and/or coccidiosis. Broilers have high genetic potential with significant feed intake capacity. Even minor digestion and absorption violations increase the quantity of nutrients available to opportunistic bacteria in the gut. Any resulting chronic inflammation or coccidiosis lesions can cause villus atrophy.

Some nutritional factors can favour potential pathogens like Clostridium to the cost of other beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus. This high stressor pressure can become a vicious circle.

A damaged gut displays villi fusion, excessive mucus production and an immune reaction. Further inflammation then appears, following these reactions.

Fusion of the villi leads to a reduced exchange surface, with lower water absorption (thus watery faeces) and less nutrient absorption. These nutrients will then be more available for opportunistic bacteria. Without appropriate action, this vicious circle will cause increased damage, and possibly even death for birds with necrotic enteritis.

The following illustration represents the evolution of an enteritis, demonstrating this vicious circle, where each phase has an impact on gut morphology and microbiology.

Managing pathogen pressure and gut integrity

Safmannan^® is a premium yeast postbiotic, rich in mannan-oligosaccharides and beta-glucans (1.3 and 1.6). Controlling pathogens and preserving gut development may help to break the vicious circle of bacterial enteritis in birds.

Safmannan^® helps maintain better ileal villus height, under pathogenic stress conditions.

Nucleosaf^® is a premium yeast extract, rich in nucleotides, which may be beneficial to support natural defences, plus certain tissues with a high renewal rate, such as the intestinal tract. A broiler study carried out in Mexico proved that supplementation with Nucleosaf^® at 500g/t for 21 days improved the performance of birds by increasing the absorptive surface area and enhancing barrier functions in the intestine.

Increasing resistance to oxidative stress

Selsaf^® is a natural source of organic selenium with a dual mode of action. Selsaf^® optimises the activity of Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), a key enzyme of the antioxidant mechanism. It also significantly increases the level of selenium in the muscles of birds, compared to sodium selenite and other selenium yeasts.

Improving animal welfare

A trial was conducted at the Southern Poultry Research Inc. on 1,600 male Cobb broilers. The animals were challenged with coccidia, followed by a three-day inoculation of Clostridium perfringens (C.perf.). Results showed that Safmannan^® may help to enhance survivability under stress conditions.

Safmannan^®, Nucleosaf^®, and Selsaf^®: improving feed efficiency and growth

Safmannan^® significantly improved the feed efficiency and bodyweight of broilers, compared with a control group, during a trial in Mexico in 2015.

By increasing the absorptive surface area and enhancing barrier function in the intestine, after 21 days of supplementation with Nucleosaf^® (500g/t), broilers’ bodyweight increased by 8% Vs. a control group at 35 days of age, with a significantly better FCR.

Trial evidence has shown that Selsaf^® improves FCR and bodyweight in broilers compared to other sources of inorganic (sodium selenite) and organic (synthetic seleno-methionine) selenium.

This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Not all products are available in all markets nor associated claims allowed in all regions. The information provided in this document is to the best of our knowledge, true and accurate. However, products must only be used in compliance with local laws and regulations and we cannot guarantee freedom of use for every intended application or country.