U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            LEE, K - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)item
                                            Lee, Sungitem
                                            Lillehoj, Hyunitem
                                            LI, G - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)item
                                            JANG, S - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)item
                                            PARK, M - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)item
                                            KIM, D - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)item
                                            LILLEHOJ, E - University Of Marylanditem
                                            NEUMANN, A - Danisco Usa, Incitem
                                            REHBERGER, T - Danisco Usa, Incitem
                                            SIRAGUSA, G - Danisco Usa, Incitem
                                            BABU, U - Us Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
  Submitted to: Poultry Science
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2010
                                    Publication  Date: 4/5/2010
                                    Citation: Lee, K.W., Lee, S.H., Lillehoj, H.S., Li, G.X., Jang, S.I., Park, M.S., Kim, D.K., Lillehoj, E.P., Neumann, A.P., Rehberger, T.G., Siragusa, G.R., Babu, U.S. 2010. Effects of Direct-Fed Microbials on Growth Performance, Gut Morphometry, and Immune Characteristics in Broiler Chickens. Poultry Science. 89:203-216.Interpretive Summary: Development of safe and effective alternative methods is becoming a priority for poultry industry due to increasing concerns about increasing drug-resistance of poultry pathogens.  Although drugs have been traditionally used to control many diseases of poultry, the results of recent ARS study indicate a potential non-drug application of dietary strategy to control mucosal pathogens of poultry. In this report, ARS scientists in collaboration with scientists at Danisco, University of Maryland and U.S.FDA investigated immunostimulating effects of direct-fed microbial (DFM) food supplements. Feeding broiler chickens with DFM-supplemented diets altered intestinal morphometric measurements with increased villus height and crypt depth compared with non-DFM fed controls. Certain DFM supplementation enhanced innate immunity and improved various aspects of host intestinal immune response. These results provide a rational scientific basis to utilize DFMs as immunomodulating agents in poultry production to reduce the use of  antibiotics.
                                Technical Abstract: This study was conducted to compare growth performance, gut morphometry, and parameters of local and systemic immunity in broiler chickens fed for 22 consecutive days with a diet supplemented with one of eight Bacillus spp. as a direct-fed microbial (DFM), a commercial product incorporating three DFMs , or a non-supplemented diet. DFMs did not significantly modify body weight gain and most failed to affect serum antibody levels in response to immunization with a recombinant Eimeria protein. However, altered intestinal morphometric measurements were readily apparent in DFM-fed chickens as revealed by increased villus height and crypt depth compared with non-DFM fed controls. In addition, serum levels of a-1-acid glycoprotein as an inflammatory marker were reduced in DFM-fed birds, while splenic lymphocyte proliferation, intestine intraepithelial lymphocyte (IEL) subpopulations, and cytokine mRNA levels in IELs were increased, decreased, or unchanged compared with controls depending on the DFM used. These results provide a rational scientific basis for future studies to investigate DFMs as immunomodulating agents to enhance host protective immunity against enteric pathogens in broilers chickens.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov