Study of using the Piriformospora indica spores as a new candidate of prebiotic in broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of P. indica spore as a new source of prebiotics in broiler diets. A total of 160 male broilers (Ross 308) was divided to 5 treatments and 4 replications of 8 chicks in each replicate in a completely randomized design. The treatments included (1) control, (2) control Along with 3×106 cfu/g P. indica spores, (3) control Along with 6×106 cfu/g spore fungus P. indica , (4) control Along with 9×106 spore fungus P. indica and (5) control Along with 14×106 fungus. During the experimental period, feed intake and body weight gain were recorded weekly and FCR was calculated. Blood characteristics and intestinal morphology was evaluated at 42 d of age. Cecal bacterial population for E. coli, coliforms and salmonella, was measured at 42 days. The results showed that the inclusion of 6×106 cfu/g spore P. indica significantly increased feed intake and body weight gain P<0/05). Supplementing different levels of fungal spores P. indica had significant effects on feed conversion ratio )P> 0/05). The results showed that the villi length and crypt depth was reduced (P< 0/05) by addition of P. indica spores to the basal diets. Results of current experiments demonstrated that P. indica inoculant at level of 3×106 cfu/g significantly reduced the Salmonella and E. coli population in ceca (P< 0/05). Based on the results of this study, 6×106 cfu/g P. indica spors could be result an improvement in performance and would be comparable to commercial prebiotics.