Effect of killed whole yeast cell prebiotic supplementation on broiler performance and intestinal immune cell parameters

• Published in: Poultry science Vol. 91; no. 1; pp. 107 - 111
• Main Authors: Shanmugasundaram, R, Selvaraj, R. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Poultry Science Association 2012; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Age; Animal Feed; Animals; broiler chickens; CD4 antigen; CD8 antigen; Cecum; Cecum - drug effects; Cecum - immunology; Cecum - metabolism; Chickens - immunology; Chickens - physiology; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; Diets; Immunomodulation; Immunoregulation; Interleukin 1; Interleukin 10; Interleukin-1 - immunology; Interleukin-1 - metabolism; Interleukin-10 - immunology; Interleukin-10 - metabolism; Intestine; Lymphocytes T; messenger RNA; mRNA; Pichia - metabolism; Poultry; Prebiotics; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; RNA - genetics; Soybeans; Spleen; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - immunology; Spleen - metabolism; T-lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - metabolism; Time Factors; Tonsil; tonsils; yeasts; whole yeast cell; prebiotic; immunity; CitriStim
• ISSN: 0032-5791; 1525-3171
• DOI: 10.3382/ps.2011-01732

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of CitriStim, a commercial killed whole yeast cell prebiotic, on broiler performance, regulatory T cells, CD4+ and CD8+ percentages, and IL-10 and IL-1 mRNA contents of the spleen and cecal tonsils. No immune challenges were imposed in either of the 2 experiments. One-day-old broiler chicks were fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0, 0.1, or 0.2% CitriStim (ADM, Decatur, IL) for 35 d. At 21 (P = 0.03) and 35 d (P = 0.02) of age, CitriStim supplementation at 0.2% increased regulatory T cell percentage in the cecal tonsil compared with that of the 0% CitriStim-supplemented group. At 21 (P = 0.08) and 35 d (P = 0.01) of age, CitriStim supplementation at 0.2% increased IL-10 mRNA content of the cecal tonsil compared with that of the 0% CitriStim-supplemented group. At 21 (P = 0.13) and 35 d (P < 0.01) of age, CitriStim supplementation at 0.2% decreased IL-1 mRNA content compared with that of the 0% CitriStim supplemented group. CitriStim supplementation did not (P > 0.05) alter the IL-10 and IL-1 mRNA contents in the spleen. CitriStim supplementation did not (P > 0.05) alter the CD4+ and CD8+ cell percentages in the spleen and cecal tonsil at 21 and 35 d of the experiment. CitriStim supplementation increased regulatory T cell percentage and IL-10 mRNA content and decreased IL-1 mRNA content in the cecal tonsil to produce a net antiinflammatory milieu. The immunomodulatory effect of CitriStim supplementation was a local effect rather than a systemic effect.