Comparison the effects of probiotic and prebiotic as antibiotic alternatives on Salmonella colonization, performance, and egg quality in laying hens challenged with Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis

Consumption of contaminated eggs with Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (SE) cause gastroenteritis in human.

The present study examined the effect of probiotic and prebiotic compared to antibiotic on the colonization of SE in the ceca, and the quantity and quality of produced eggs in the laying hens challenged with SE.

One hundred Hy-Line W-36 laying hens with 44-week-olds were studied for 13 weeks in a randomized complete block design containing five treatments and four replicates with five birds in each replicate. Treatments included: negative control, positive control, and antibiotic: diets containing antibiotic (Oxytetracycline 0.15 g/kg diet), probiotic (Bactocell® 0.1 g/kg diet), and prebiotic (Diamond V Original XPCTM 1.25 g/kg diet). All experimental groups except negative control were challenged with 1 ml of suspension solution containing 1 × 107 CFU/ml SE by oral gavage at the start of the ninth week of the experiment. Laying performance traits and cecal bacterial population were measured at the end of each week.

Probiotic and prebiotic showed a greater effect in the reduction of yolk cholesterol and blood cholesterol level before and after challenge with SE, respectively (P<0.05). In pre-challenge period, treatments had no effect on the cecal bacterial population; but after the challenge, three dietary supplements decreased the colonization of SE in the ceca of laying hens, and prebiotic showed more preventive effect (P<0.05).

The result of this study showed that the prebiotic can be effective in reducing and preventing SE colonization in laying hens and act as an alternative to antibiotics.