. 2023 Sep 17;16(9):1849–1865. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1849-1865

Table-2.

Effect of probiotic-supplemented diets and feeding programs on the BWG, histomorphology of the small intestine and serological blood parameters of broilers.

Parameters	PC	NC	PreB	Early-stage		Late-stage		p-value

				FP₅	SP₅	FP₅	SP₅
BWG (g)
1^st week	138.2 ± 2.8^a	118.7 ± 2.0^b	123.7 ± 4.8^b	126.0 ± 4.9^ab	125.0 ± 3.7^ab	118.7 ± 2.0^b	118.7 ± 2.0^b	^**
2^nd week	310.5 ± 7.9^a	280.5 ± 4.8^b	335.0 ± 14.4^a	323.7 ± 10.5^a	308.5 ± 10.6^ab	280.5 ± 4.8^b	280.5 ± 4.8^b	^**
3^rd week	490.0 ± 13.0	484.7 ± 14.7	545.0 ± 26.3	499.2 ± 25.9	457.8 ± 22.1	490.9 ± 17.3	453.5 ± 23.7	ns
4^th week	731.3 ± 15.7^a	676.7 ± 15.2^ab	736.5 ± 25.6^a	674.7 ± 20.5^ab	587.5 ± 38.6^b	685.5 ± 27.0^ab	706.7 ± 42.2^ab	^**
5^th week	1008.7 ± 19.6^a	786.3 ± 22.1^c	866.1 ± 50.6^bc	762.5 ± 28.1^c	936.7 ± 40.3^ab	839.4 ± 48.2^bc	915.0 ± 38.6^ab	^**
6^th week	1197.3 ± 41.5^a	947.5 ± 22.8^b	991.7 ± 105.2^ab	938.1 ± 52.4^b	1101.7 ± 62.1^ab	1074.4 ± 51.6^ab	1071.9 ± 78.4^ab	^**
Total (g/6 weeks)	3638.2 ± 48.0^a	3288.8 ± 45.2^c	3597.5 ± 137.5^a	3344.4 ± 62.5^bc	3515.0 ± 109.8^ab	3488.1 ± 87.7^ab	3555.0 ± 74.9^ab	^**
Histomorphometry
Duodenum
Villus height (μm)	1307.0 ± 50.1^c	1632.4 ± 111.8^ab	1450.7 ± 109.9^bc	1337.3 ± 25.0^c	1719.7 ± 4.0^a	1640.3 ± 57.5^ab	1735.6 ± 41.1^a	^**
Cryptal depth (μm)	104.0 ± 0.5^b	148.3 ± 7.4^a	145.1 ± 7.4^a	143.2 ± 9.3^a	147.6 ± 3.6^a	141.6 ± 4.4^a	148.3 ± 5.0^a	^**
VH/CD	12.6 ± 0.5^a	11.0 ± 0.5^bc	9.9 ± 0.4^cd	9.4 ± 0.7^d	11.7 ± 0.26^ab	11.6 ± 0.38^ab	11.7 ± 0.22^ab	^**
Jejunum
Villus height (μm)	1089.8 ± 69.0^a	493.5 ± 4.2^c	807.2 ± 46.0^bc	793.8 ± 64.0^b	790.6 ± 91.7^b	961.2 ± 63.2^ab	886.1 ± 45.9^b	^***
Cryptal depth (μm)	138.0 ± 6.6^a	112.1 ± 3.9^bc	90.9 ± 2.6^cd	139.4 ± 6.4^a	112.2 ± 4.3^b	119.9 ± 9.3^ab	125.7 ± 10.7^ab	^**
VH/CD	7.9 ± 0.1^ab	4.4 ± 0.1^d	8.9 ± 0.5^a	5.8 ± 0.7^cd	7.0 ± 0.6^bc	8.1 ± 0.5^ab	7.1 ± 0.5^bc	^***
Ileum
Villus height (μm)	455.3 ± 29.0	398.9 ± 16.1	416.1 ± 8.7	416.1 ± 18.8	402.8 ± 4.4	451.9 ± 82.3	403.3 ± 33.0	ns
Cryptal depth (μm)	94.9 ± 4.4^bcd	81.7 ± 3.5^d	82.9 ± 1.2^cd	103.3 ± 9.9^ab	85.7 ± 3.5^cd	118.7 ± 7.2^a	98.4 ± 3.6^bc	^**
VH/CD	4.8 ± 0.4	4.9 ± 0.3	5.0 ± 0.1	4.1 ± 0.2	4.7 ± 0.2	3.8 ± 0.6	4.1 ± 0.3	ns
Serological blood parameters (units of mg/day)
15 days old
CHOL	152.0 ± 4.9^ab	161.0 ± 4.0^a	132.0 ± 13.1^b	136.7 ± 6.7^b	117.0 ± 15.2^c	161.0 ± 4.0^a	161.0 ± 4.0^a	^**
TG	36.0 ± 4.4^c	70.3 ± 9.8^b	103.0 ± 4.0^ab	109.7 ± 19.9^a	120.0 ± 15.5^a	70.3 ± 9.8^b	70.3 ± 9.8^b	^***
HDL	114.6 ± 4.7^a	124.3 ± 4.3^a	88.7 ± 8.4^b	100.0 ± 7.8^b	88.7 ± 14.9^b	124.3 ± 4.3^a	124.3 ± 4.3^a	^**
LDL	30.7 ± 2.5^a	22.7 ± 3.0^ab	22.7 ± 4.9^ab	14.7 ± 5.5^bc	4.2 ± 2.5^c	22.7 ± 3.0^ab	22.7 ± 3.0^ab	^**
Uric	6.6 ± 0.9^a	2.0 ± 0.3^b	6.2 ± 0.3^a	4.1 ± 1.1^b	5.7 ± 0.6^a	2.0 ± 0.3^b	2.0 ± 0.3^b	^***
30 days old
CHOL	136.6 ± 7.9^a	124.5 ± 3.2^ab	103.3 ± 5.8^b	114.9 ± 5.2^b	104.9 ± 8.5^b	117.1 ± 6.1^b	109.0 ± 6.5^b	*
TG	124.9 ± 4.5	108.0 ± 8.5	117.0 ± 3.0	118.1 ± 11.6	109.4 ± 9.3	92.3 ± 8.3	94.4 ± 16.8	ns
HDL	47.6 ± 3.2^a	46.8 ± 1.4^a	35.0 ± 3.0^b	36.3 ± 3.1^b	37.8 ± 3.1^b	43.4 ± 2.3^ab	38.7 ± 1.5^b	^**
LDL	64.1 ± 5.1	56.4 ± 2.4	44.8 ± 2.9	56.4 ± 3.1	46.6 ± 6.5	55.3 ± 5.6	51.6 ± 5.0	ns
Uric	4.7 ± 0.4	3.6 ± 0.3	4.0 ± 0.9	4.0 ± 0.4	4.0 ± 0.5	4.1 ± 0.3	5.0 ± 0.3	ns
45 days old
CHOL	137.3 ± 6.1	136.3 ± 11.6	131.3 ± 9.4	133.3 ± 2.0	123.0 ± 14.2	124.7 ± 3.8	128.3 ± 7.3	ns
TG	92.3 ± 14.8	70.3 ± 15.4	85.0 ± 6.2	89.3 ± 19.5	76.3 ± 5.7	80.3 ± 0.9	117.0 ± 10.8	ns
HDL	78.0 ± 1.5	85.7 ± 3.4	82.7 ± 4.3	80.7 ± 2.2	76.3 ± 8.1	78.3 ± 2.4	72.7 ± 2.3	ns
LDL	40.7 ± 2.7	36.7 ± 6.4	31.3 ± 4.9	34.7 ± 4.4	31.3 ± 6.9	30.3 ± 1.6	32.0 ± 4.0	ns
Uric	4.1 ± 0.7	3.6 ± 0.3	3.8 ± 0.7	3.7 ± 0.3	4.8 ± 0.3	3.8 ± 0.4	5.2 ± 0.3	ns

Mean values in the same row with different letters are significantly different as determined by one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher’s LSD test. ns indicates a non-significant difference, * indicates a significant difference at p < 0.05,

^**

indicates a significant difference at p < 0.01, and

^***

indicates a significant difference at p < 0.001. Body weight gain (g) were assessed every week for 6 weeks (42 days). Histomorphometry was measured for 45-day-old broilers. PC=Positive control administered the basal diet, NC=Negative control administered the basal diet without antibiotics, prebiotics, or probiotics, PreB=Basal diet with rice bran/chitosan/CMC, FP₅=Basal diet with freeze-dried five-probiotic mixture, and SP₅=Basal diet with spray-dried five-probiotic mixture. All serological blood parameters were assessed for 42-day-old broilers and presented in units of mg/day. VH/CD=Villous height-to-cryptal depth ratio, CHOL=Cholesterol, TG=Triglyceride, HDL=High-density lipoprotein, LDL=Low-density lipoprotein, BWG=Body weight gain