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The Effect of <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> AL41 on the Acute Phase Proteins and Selected Mucosal Immune Molecules in Broiler Chickens
oleh: Viera Karaffová, Csilla Tóthová, Renáta Szabóová, Viera Revajová, Andrea Lauková, Zuzana Ševčíková, Róbert Herich, Rudolf Žitňan, Martin Levkut, Mikuláš Levkut, Zita Faixová, Oskar Nagy
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2022-04-01 |
Deskripsi
Probiotic bacteria, including the <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> strain, can improve intestinal mucosal health by several mechanisms, including modulation of the immune response, as well as by improving the protective function of the epithelial barrier. In this study, we tested the effect of <i>Enterococcus faecium</i> AL41 on the acute phase proteins response (blood), gene expression of selected molecules of mucosal immunity (immunoglobulin A, mucin-2, insulin-like growth factor 2) and mucus production (all parts of the small intestine) in broilers. Eighty broiler chicks were divided into two groups: a control and <i>E. faecium</i> AL41 (birds were inoculated with AL41 for 7 days) group. The whole experiment lasted 11 days. Our results revealed that the administration of <i>E. faecium</i> AL41 had no substantial effect on the concentrations of acute phase proteins, but we recorded a significant increase in β- and γ-globulin fractions at the end of the experiment, which may indicate an improvement in the immune status. A significant prolonged stimulatory effect of <i>E. faecium</i> AL41 on the relative expression of molecules (immunoglobulin A, mucin-2) as well as on the dynamic of mucus production in the chicken intestine was observed. In addition, AL41 significantly reduced the total number of enterococci in the cecum and faeces.