Phytogenics could protect broilers from Marek’s disease

Phytogenics can help improve broiler gut health and help prevent Marek’s disease and other intestinal illnesses when injected simultaneously with a vaccine.

David Tadevosian | Shutterstock
David Tadevosian | Shutterstock

Phytogenics can help improve broiler gut health and help prevent Marek’s disease and other intestinal illnesses when injected simultaneously with a vaccine.

“The gut is really a fascinating organ. It is a very unique organism that is somehow inside the animal and also not inside the animal,” Sharam Niknafs, research fellow, University of Queensland, explained during the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program gut health webinar.

Why gut health is important

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a vital role in the bodies of humans, poultry and other organisms. For example, the surface area of the GI tract in humans is 16 times that of the skin. This provides “a tremendous surface area for the biological system to be able to interact with the surrounding environment,” Niknafs noted.

The gut microbiome has become a research focus for many in recent year. Over 100 trillion microorganisms inhabit the poultry GI tract. These microorganisms are highly dependent on a series of internal and external factors, including feed, the climate and the immunity of the bird. The interaction of these factors controls bird health.

How best to boost poultry gut health

Niknaf’s research explores the use of natural feed additives called phytogenics to regulate poultry gut health.

Phytogenics are plant-derived compounds that have antimicrobial, antifungal and/or antibacterial properties. Examples include turmeric, chili powder, Quilliaia extract made from the back of a Chilean tree and other essential oils.

He’s tested the use of phytogenics throughout the lifespan of a broiler, including breeder stock, in ovo, early post hatch and late post hatch.

“One of the challenges and the important bridges that we were trying to build was between breeder and the next generation,” said Niknafs.

When it comes to in ovo injection of essential oils, research revealed that it is most effective when administered to the amnion and yolk between day 12 and day 17 of incubation.

Essential oils could also be combined with in ovo vaccine therapy to treat and prevent Marek’s disease.

Marek’s disease is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause tumors to develop in various parts of the body, eye cancer, wing and leg paralysis and eventually death. It is spread through bird feed, bedding material, bird droppings, feathers and dead skin. The disease costs the poultry industry an estimated $1 billion each year.

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