Effect of diets containing commercial bioactive compounds on Salmonella Heidelberg infection in broiler chicks

Salmonella Heidelberg (SH) is responsible for economic losses in poultry farming and food infections in humans and is a serious public health problem. Recently, there has been an increase in the frequency of isolation of this serotype in batches of broilers raised in Brazil. It is necessary to find new ways to help control this pathogen. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of diets containing the compound Original XPC, which is a prebiotic-like fermented compound (PFC), and/or Sangrovit, which is a sanguinarine-based phytobiotic (SAN), on SH infection in broiler chicks. For this purpose, SH colonization in the cecum and its invasion into the spleen and liver were evaluated, as were the histopathological changes caused in these organs. The lowest cecal SH counts were observed in birds that ingested SAN, followed by those fed PFC (P < 0.05), with no added effect when the two bioproducts were used together (SAN + PFC). The mean SH and liver spleen counts did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). In general, birds from all groups challenged with SH showed similar macroscopic changes, such as hemorrhagic areas, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly, such changes being more intense in the infected control group. The microscopic changes observed in the liver included hepatocyte congestion, heterophil infiltration in the sinusoid capillaries, areas of necrosis, and mononuclear inflammation. In the cecum, heterophilic infiltrate and thickening of the lamina propria were observed. In the ileum, the most common changes were congestion and thickening of the lamina propria and atrophy of the villi and crypts. The microscopic changes were less intense in the supplemented birds than the infected control group, and those supplemented with SAN developed the least changes. As ideal conditions for histomorphometric parameters of the ileum, the villus:crypt ratio in birds should be high, the villi should be long, and the crypts should be shallow. In the present study, higher mean heights and villus areas were observed in uninfected control and SAN group birds, and the crypt depth was lower in birds in the negative control group. The lowest villus:crypt ratio was observed in the birds of the infected control group. Although additional studies are needed, the preliminary results of the current investigation indicated that the addition of bioproducts, especially SAN, to the diet of birds helped to control SH infection, reducing its count in the cecum and improving overall and intestinal health.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effect of diets containing Original XPC and Sangrovit on Salmonella Heidelberg (SH) infection in broiler chicks. The results showed that the addition of SAN to the diet resulted in the lowest cecal SH counts, followed by the addition of PFC. All infected chicks showed hepatomegaly and splenomegaly, but the severity was lower in chicks supplemented with SAN. In conclusion, the addition of bioproducts, especially SAN, can help control SH infection, reduce cecal colonization, and improve overall and intestinal health.