Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A comparison of the effects of antibiotics, probiotics, synbiotics and prebiotics on the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Veterinary Research Communications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Routine use of the antibiotic flavomycin in broiler production may lead to resistance, and alternative growth promoters are used to enhance performance. Two hundred day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated to five dietary supplements included from d 1–42: flavomycin, three possible alternatives, a probiotic, prebiotic and a synbiotic, as well as a control treatment. There were four replicate cages of 10 birds each in each treatment. Compared with the control and antibiotics treatments, the probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic treatments increased (p = 0.001) weight gain (64, 66, 73, 70 and 74 g/d, respectively). The synbiotic treatment reduced (p = 0.004) the feed conversion ratio, compared with the control and antibiotic treatments (1.70, 1.84, 1.83, respectively). Compared with the control and antibiotic treatments, the birds fed the synbiotic treatment had greater relative gizzard (+47%) and spleen weights (+115%), and lighter kidneys (−47%). The birds fed the symbiotic treatment also had thinner walls of the caudal gut segments. The prebiotic had the most beneficial effect on cecal microbiota, stimulating aerobic and lactic acid producing bacteria and reducing Escherichia coli bacteria. Enterococci were increased in the antibiotic treatment. We conclude that there were significant performance and health benefits of using prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics for broilers, rather than antibiotics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Cancer Society (2010) Astragalus Report of the American Cancer Society. Available at: http://www.cancerorg/

  • Attia YA, Zeweil HS, Alsaffar AA (2011) Effect of non-antibiotic feed additives as an alternative to flavomycin productivity, meat quality and blood parameters in broilers. Arch Geflugelk 75:40–48

  • Aviagen (2014) Ross 308: broiler nutrition specification. Aviagen Ltd., Newbridge, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Awad WA, Ghareeb K, Abdel-Raheem S, Bohm J (2009) Effects of dietary inclusion of probiotic and synbiotic on growth performance, organ weights, and intestinal histomorphology of broiler chickens. Poult Sci 88:49–56. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2008-00244

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cervantes HM (2015) Antibiotic-free poultry production: is it sustainable? J Appl Poult Res 24:91–97. https://doi.org/10.3382/japr/pfv006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cox NJ (2007) Transformations: an introduction. Available at: http://fmwww.bc.edu/repec/bocode/t/transint.html. Accessed 17 March, 2017

  • de Vrese M, Schrezenmeir J (2008) Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics. Food Biotechnol 111:1–66

  • Denli Çelik M, Okan F (2003) Comparative effects of feeding diets containing flavomycin, Bioteksin-L and dry yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on broiler performance. J Appl Anim Res 23:139–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2003.9706415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dibaji SM, Seidavi AR, Asadpour L (2014) Effect of a synbiotic on the intestinal microflora of chickens. J Appl Poult Res 23:1–6. https://doi.org/10.3382/japr.2012-00709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebrahimi A, Qotbi AAA, Seidavi AR, Bahar B (2014) The effects of dietary supplementation of Citrus sinensis peel extract on production and quality parameters of broiler chicken. J Appl Anim Res 42:445–450. https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2013.875916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghasemi HA, Kasani N, Taherpour K (2014) Effects of black cumin seed Nigella sativa L., a probiotic, a prebiotic and a synbiotic on growth performance, immune response and blood characteristics of male broilers. Livest Sci 164:128–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2014.03.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haque MN, Islam KM S, Akbar MA, Chowdhury R, Khatun M, Karim MR, Kemppainen BW (2010) Effect of dietary citric acid, flavomycin and their combination on the performance, tibia ash and immune status of broiler. Can J Anim Sci 90:57–63. https://doi.org/10.4141/CJAS09048, 2010

  • Hassanpour H, Moghaddam AK, Zamani KM (2013) Effects of synbiotic on the intestinal morphology and humoral immune response in broiler chickens. Livest Sci 153:116–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2013.02.004

  • Hwang IY, Ku Hyun OK, Lim SK, Park CK, Jung GS, Jung SC, Nam HM (2009) Species distribution and resistance patterns to growth-promoting antimicrobials of enterococci isolated from pigs and chickens in Korea. J Vet Diagn Investig 21:858–862. https://doi.org/10.1177/104063870902100616

  • Jahanpour H, Seidavi A, Qotbi AAA, Van Den Hoven R, Rocha e Silva S, Laudadio V, Tufarelli V (2015) Effects of the level and duration of feeding restriction on carcass components of broilers. Arch Anim Breed 58:99–105. https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-58-99-2015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kato C, Sato K, Wakabayashi A, Eishi Y (2000) The effects of allopurinol on immune function in normal BALB/c and SCID mice. Int J Immunopharmacol 22:547–556. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0192-0561(00)00018-7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khan RU, Naz S, Nikousefat Z, Tufarelli V, Laudadio V (2012) Thyumus vulgaris: alternative to antibiotics in poultry feed. World Poult Sci 68:401–408. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043933912000517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madej JP, Stefaniak T, Bednarczyk M (2015) Effect of in ovo-delivered prebiotics and synbiotics on lymphoid-organs’ morphology in chickens. Poult Sci 94:1209–1219. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev076

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell MH, Spence S, Robertson GW, Mitchell MA (1990) Haematological and morphological responses of broiler chicks to hypoxia. Avian Pathol 19:23–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/03079459008418653

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merck Animal Health (2017) World Health Organization. Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, USA. Available at: https://www.merck.com

  • Midilli M, Alp M, Kocabach N, Muglah OH, Turan N, Yilmaz H (2008) Effects of dietary probiotic and prebiotic supplementation on growth performance and serum IgG concentration of broilers. S African J Anim Sci 38:21–27. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajas.v38i1.4104

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadian A, Mehdizadeh Taklimi SM, Lotfollahian H, Mirzaei F, Noroozian H (2013) Influence of dietary probiotic biomin Imbo on performance of laying hen. Global. J Med Plant Res 12:237–240. https://doi.org/10.4236/as.2013.41004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammed AA, Jacobs JA, Murugesan GR, Cheng HW (2018) Effect of dietary synbiotic supplement on behavioral patterns and growth performance of broiler chickens reared under heat stress. Poultry Sci. 97: 1101–1108. doi-org.ezproxy.library.uq.edu.au/10.3382/ps/pex421

  • Mookiah S, Sieo CC, Ramasamy K (2014) Effects of dietary prebiotics, probiotic and synbiotics on performance, caecal bacterial populations and caecal fermentation concentrations of broiler chickens. J Sci Food Agric 94:341–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6365

  • Mousavi SM, Seidavi A, Dadashbeiki M, Kilonzo-Nthenge A, Nahashon SN, Laudadio V, Tufarelli V (2015) Effect of a synbiotic biomin R IMBO on growth performance traits of broiler chickens. Eur PoultSci 79:1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Nabizadeh A (2012) The effect of inulin on broiler chicken intestinal microflora, gut morphology, and performance. J Anim Feed Sci 21:725–734. https://doi.org/10.22358/jafs/66144/2012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ni JJ, Ju TT, Piao XS (2012) Effect of flavomycin on performance, gut morphology and intestinal microflora in broilers. J Anim Vet Adv 11:1669–1673. https://doi.org/10.3923/javaa.2012.1669.1673

  • Pruszynska-Oszmalek E, Kolodziejski PA, Stadnicka K (2015) In ovo injection of prebiotics and synbiotics affects the digestive potency of the pancreas in growing chickens. Poult Sci 94:1904-1916

  • Sarica S, Ciftci A, Demir E, Kilinc K, Yildirim Y (2005) Use of an antibiotic growth promoter and two herbal natural feed additives with and without exogenous enzymes in wheat based broiler diets. S Afric J Anim Sci 35:61–72. 10520/EJC94430

  • Shabani S, Seidavi A, Asadpour L, Corazzin M (2015) Effects of physical form of diet and intensity and duration of feed restriction on the growth performance, blood variables, microbial flora, immunity, and carcass and organ characteristics of broiler chickens. Livest Sci 180:150–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2015.07.006

  • Sharifi SD, Dibamehr A, Lotfollahian H, Baurhoo B (2012) Effects of flavomycin and probiotic supplementation to diets containing different sources of fat on growth performance, intestinal morphology, apparent metabolizable energy, and fat digestibility in broiler chickens. Poult Sci 91:918–927. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2011-01844

  • Shokryazdan P, Faseleh Jahromi M, Liang JB, Ramasamy K, Sieo CC, Ho YW (2017) Effects of Lactobacillus salivarius mixture on performance, intestinal health and serum lipids of broiler chickens. PLoS One 12:e0175959. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175959

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sozcu A and Ipek A (2017) Intestinal morphology, hepatic enzyme activity, serum immunoglobulin level and growth performance of broilers fed on diets supplemented with a synbiotic. Eur Poultry Sci 81: https://doi.org/10.1399/eps.2017.189

  • SPSS Inc (2011) Statistical package for social sciences study. SPSS for windows, version 20. Chicago SPSS Inc

  • Tan DT, Khor HT, Low WH, Ali A, Gapor A (1991) Effect of a palm-oil-vitamin E concentrate on the serum and lipoprotein lipids in humans. Am J Clin Nutr 53:1027–1030. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/53.4.1027S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tayeri V, Seidavi A, Asadpour L (2015) Comparison of effect of antibiotics flavomycin, probiotics Protexin, prebiotics Immunoval and synbiotics biomin IMBO on weekly growth and economical indices of broilers. Int J Biol Pharm All Sci 4:2559–2571

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thapaliya D, Forshey BM, Kadariya J, Quick MK, Farina S, O’ Brien A, Nair R, Nworie A, Hanson B, Kates A, Wardyn S, Smith TC (2017) Prevalence and molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus in commercially available meat over a one-year period in Iowa, USA. Food Microbiol 65:122–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2017.01.015

  • Thomas L (1998) Clinical laboratory diagnostics. TH-Books Verlagsgesellschaft, Frankfurt, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Toghyani M, Toghyani M, Gheisari A, Ghalamkari G, Eghbalsaied S (2011) Evaluation of cinnamon and garlic as antibiotic growth promoter substitutions on performance, immune responses, serum biochemical and haematological parameters in broiler chicks. Livest Sci 138:167–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2010.12.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van den Bogaard AE, London N, Driessen C, Stobberingh EE (2001) Antibiotic resistance of faecal Escherichia coli in poultry, poultry farmers and poultry slaughterers. J Antimicrob Chemother 47:763–771. https://doi.org/10.1093/jac/47.6.763

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Velasco SLT, Ortiz C, Alzueta AJ, Rebole T, Rodriguez ML (2010) Effect of inulin supplementation and dietary fat source on performance, blood serum metabolites, liver lipids, abdominal fat deposition, and tissue fatty acid composition in broiler chickens. Poult Sci 89:1651–1662. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2010-00687

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Visek JW (1978) Mode of growth promotion by antibiotics. J Anim Sci 46:1147–1469. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1978.4651447x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang HL, Shi M, Xu X, Pan L, Pan L, Zhao PF, Zhao PF, Ma XK, Ma XK, Tian QY, Qi YT, Piao XS (2016) Effects of Flavomycin, Bacillus licheniformis and Enramycin on performance, nutrient digestibility, gut morphology and the intestinal microflora of broilers. J Poult Sci 53:128–135. https://doi.org/10.2141/jpsa.0150077

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support by Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, grant number 45830, is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

    Vahid Tayeri & Alireza Seidavi

  2. Department of Veterinary Science, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

    Leila Asadpour

  3. Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia

    Clive J. C. Phillips

Authors
  1. Vahid Tayeri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alireza Seidavi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Leila Asadpour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Clive J. C. Phillips
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alireza Seidavi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Primary Audience: Poultry Researchers, Extension Services, Veterinarians, Consumers

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tayeri, V., Seidavi, A., Asadpour, L. et al. A comparison of the effects of antibiotics, probiotics, synbiotics and prebiotics on the performance and carcass characteristics of broilers. Vet Res Commun 42, 195–207 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-018-9724-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-018-9724-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation