Control of Salmonella enteritidis infection in male layer chickens by acetic acid and/or prebiotics, probiotics and antibiotics

The effect of glucomannan, acetic acid, a probiotic product, a combination of acetic acid and glucomannan as well as an antibiotic in drinking water was studied on health and productive performance of 210 Brown Bovans male layer chicks experimentally infected with Salmonella enteritidis at day one of age. Two other groups were, respectively, infected and untreated, not infected controls. In vivo performance was recorded along the trial. At regular intervals samples of internal organs and blood were collected to detect the percentage of infection and blood parameters. Results showed that supplementation with acetic acid + prebiotic improved body weight (P < 0.01), feed conversion ratio and resulted in a decreased isolation rate of S. enteritidis from the liver, spleen and cecum. In addition, this mixture decreased hepatocellular leakage as shown of liver AST and ALT enzymes and plasma creatinine (P < 0.01).