• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.587-595
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• 2022

Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Bifidobacterium animalis, Agave fructans, and symbiotic of both encapsulated on growth performance, feed efficiency, blood parameters, and immune status in broiler chickens, and to compare these with diets including antibiotic growth promoters and without additives. Methods: A comparative experimental study was carried out with 135 male Ross 308 broiler chickens. Each trial was divided into 5 equal groups. Control group (CON) received a standard diet without growth promoter; GPA, a standard diet with colistin sulfate and zinc bacitracin (0.25 g/kg of feed); PRE, a standard diet with 1% Agave fructans; PRO, a standard diet with Bifidobacterium animalis (11.14±0.70 log CFU/g); SYM, a standard diet with B. animalis and Agave fructans. Results: A significant decrease in food consumption was found for the GPA, PRE, and SYM, compared to the CON group. The results show a better feed conversion index in PRE and GPA with respect to the CON group with the highest conversion index. Interestingly, the weight of the gastrointestinal tract shows a statistically significant difference between GPA and PRE groups. Moreover, the length of the gastrointestinal tract of the GPA group was less than the PRE group. In the total leukocyte count, there was a statistically significant increase in the GPA group compared to the CON, PRE, and PRO groups, and the heterophiles-lymphocytes index was lower in PRO. Regarding the cytokines, interleukin 10 (IL-10) decreased in PRO compared to CON and PRE, while IL-1β increased in the SYM group. Conclusion: Alternative treatments were shown to achieve similar productive results as growth-promoting antibiotics and showed improvement over diet without additives; however, they have immunomodulatory properties and improved the development of the gastrointestinal tract compared to the treatment of growth-promoting antibiotics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.643-649
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding direct-fed microbials (DFM) on the growth performance and prophylaxis of calf diarrhea during the pre-weaning period as an alternative to antibiotics. A multi-species DFM was formulated including three lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus salivarius Ls29, Pediococcus acidilactia Pa175, and L. plantarum Lp177), three Bacillus strains (B. subtilis T4, B. polymyxa T1 and SM2), one yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, and a nonpathogenic E. coli Nissle 1917. Lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus strains were selected based on the antibacterial activity against various animal pathogens, especially pathogenic E. coli using agar diffusion methods in vitro. Test and control groups were fed milk replacer and calf starter supplemented with DFM ($10^9$ cfu each of eight species/d/head, n = 29) or with antibiotics (0.1% neomycin sulfate in milk replacer and Colistin 0.08% and Oxyneo 110/110 0.1% in calf starter, n = 15), respectively. Overall fecal score and the incidence rate of diarrhea were reduced in the DFM group compared to the antibiotics one. About 40% of calves in antibiotic group suffered from diarrhea while in DFM group only 14% showed diarrhea. There was no difference in the average daily gain and feed efficiency of two groups. The hematological levels of calves were all within the normal range with no significant difference. In conclusion, the feeding of multispecies DFM during the pre-weaning period could reduce calf diarrhea and there was no difference in the growth performance between the groups, thus showing the potential as an alternative to antibiotics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.1425-1428
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• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation of a probiotics complex on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, diarrhea score and microbial population in pigs weaned at 21 days of age. Treatments were 1) control A (0.2% antibiotics, Avilamycin), 2) control B (0.1 % $Ractocom^{(R)}$), 3) 0.1%, 4) 0.2% and 5) 0.3% probiotics complex; 80 pigs were used and each treatment had 4 replicates with 4 pigs per replicate (16 pigs per treatment). During phase I period (d 0 to 14), although there was no significant difference, pigs fed control B diet showed higher ADG (average daily gain) and better F/G (feed/gain) than any other treatments. During late experimental period (d 15 to 28), pigs fed diet supplemented with 0.2% probiotics complex showed slightly higher ADG. Overall (d 0 to 28) the diet that contained 0.2% probiotics complex gave slightly higher ADG and ADFI (average daily feed intake) than the other diets. In a metabolic trial using 20 piglets, nutrient digestibility showed the best results in pigs fed 0.2% probiotics complex diet, but not significantly different from other groups. Diarrhea score and microbial population status in intestine, colon and feces were not affected by dietary treatments. In conclusion, this study suggested that a newly developed probiotics complex can replace antibiotics in weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.541-551
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• 2012

The effects of dietary additives and holding time on resistance and resilience of broiler chickens to Clostridium perfringens challenge were investigated by offering four dietary treatments. These were a negative control (basal), a positive control (Zn-bacitracin) and two dietary additives, mannanoligosaccharides (MOS), and acidifier. Two holding times included (a) immediate access to feed and water post hatch (FED) and (b) access to both feed and water 48 h post hatch (HELD). Chicks fed Zn-bacitracin had no intestinal lesions attributed to necrotic enteritis (NE), whereas chicks fed both MOS or acidifier showed signs of NE related lesions. All dietary treatments were effective in reducing the numbers of C. perfringens in the ileum post challenge. The FED chicks had heavier body weight and numerically lower mortality. The FED chicks also showed stronger immune responses to NE challenge, showing enhanced (p<0.05) proliferation of T-cells. Early feeding of the MOS supplemented diet increased (p<0.05) IL-6 production. The relative bursa weight of the FED chicks was heavier at d 21 (p<0.05). All the additives increased the relative spleen weight of the HELD chicks at d 14 (p<0.05). The FED chicks had increased villus height and reduced crypt depth, and hence an increased villus/crypt ratio, especially in the jejunum at d 14 (p<0.05). The same was true for the HELD chicks given dietary additives (p<0.05). It may be concluded that the chicks with early access to dietary additives showed enhanced immune response and gut development, under C. perfringens challenge. The findings of this study shed light on managerial and nutritional strategies that could be used to prevent NE in the broiler industry without the use of in-feed antibiotics.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.112-120
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• 2006

For the conversion of food waste into a good recycling material such as animal feed without antibiotics, thirteen lactic acid bacteria, which can be used as good probiotics for animal feed, were isolated from the intestine and feces in pigs. All isolates showed strong tolerance to high salt (4% of NaCl), acid(pH4.0), and bile juice (0.8% of oxgall). The growth rate was best at $37^{\circ}C$ in all strains. Among the isolates, Lactobacillus plantarum CJY-22, L. brevis CJY-42, L. arizonensis CJY-3, and Pediococcus sp. CJY-41 showed higher and broader spectrum of antimicrobial activities against six different pathogens such as Salmonella, typhimurium. L. plantarum CJY-22 has also grown well at $25^{\circ}C$, making this strain as an appropriate candidate for the fermentation of food waste at room temperature, thus conducting the fermentation process cost-effectively.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.392-396
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• 2010

This study was conducted to examine the effect of HACCP implementation on the cost of medicine use, antibiotic utilization, and productivity of swine in Korea. Data were collected from forty-five swine farms before and after implementation of a HACCP system. The cost of medicine used, the number of different antibiotics used and the number of feeds containing antibiotic supplements added at the feed company tended to be lower (p>0.05) after HACCP implementation. Additionally, the number of feeds containing antibiotics supplemented at the farm was significantly lower after HACCP implementation (p<0.05). Moreover, the number of piglets born per sow per year and pigs marketed per sow per year were higher after HACCP implementation (22.0, 20.0) than before HACCP implementation (20.4, 18.9). These results suggest that implementation of HACCP systems on swine farms may provide beneficial effects such as reduction of medical expenses and improved productivity, as well as increased safety of livestock products for consumers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.909-924
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• 2016

The gut is the largest organ that helps with the immune function. Gut health, especially in young pigs has a significant benefit to health and performance. In an attempt to maintain and enhance intestinal health in pigs and improve productivity in the absence of in-feed antibiotics, researchers have evaluated a wide range of feed additives. Some of these additives such as zinc oxide, copper sulphate, egg yolk antibodies, mannan-oligosaccharides and spray dried porcine plasma and their effectiveness are discussed in this review. One approach to evaluate the effectiveness of these additives in vivo is to use an appropriate disease challenge model. Over the years, researchers have used a number of challenge models which include the use of specific strains of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, bacteria lipopolysaccharide challenge, oral challenge with Salmonella enteric serotype Typhimurium, sanitation challenge, and Lawsonia intercellularis challenge. These challenge models together with the criteria used to evaluate the responses of the animals to them are also discussed in this review.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.565-575
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• 2011

Recently, the use of antibiotics to improve animal productivity in livestock industry was strictly restricted. For these reason, probiotics have been regarded as one of promising materials for an antibiotic alternative. In this study, we investigated how the probiotics influences on the performance of broiler chicken via meta-analysis. Eighteen researches from 1997 to 2010 were used for meta-analysis. The standard summary effects were calculated via fixed effect model and random effect model (Borenstein et al., 2009). Heterogeneity was calculated by using the Cochran's Q statistics (Kook et al., 2009) and publication bias was calculated via Egger's regression (Lee et al., 2011). In fixed model average daily gain, body weight serum protein content and cecal LAB showed positive effect significantly. Feed intake, feed/gain and serum cholesterol showed significant negative effect. In serum triglyceride, negative effect was found but significance was not shown. In random model, average daily gain body weight and cecal LAB showed positive effects with significance and feed/gain and serum cholesterol represented significant negative effects. Publication bias was found only in feed/gain.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2007

Veterinary antibiotics have been widely used to increase feed efficiency, to prevent disease, and to promote growth as well as to control disease. The antibiotics administered can be excreted through the urine and feces. One of the major routes of veterinary antibiotics entering soil and water environment is via the application of animal manure to agricultural land as an organic fertilizer source. Since little is known about impacts of antibiotics on the environment, this study was conducted to prioritize the veterinary antibiotics based on the consumption and potential to reach the environment. Among 83 veterinary antibiotics consumed in Korea, ten antibiotics were used at the greater dose than 25 Mg in 2004. Potential to reach the environment was determined according to excretion rate after administered to animals and sorption affinity to soil solids after applied to agricultural land. Seventeen antibiotic active ingredients (Ais) were classified as 'High' priority in terms of the potential to reach the environment. An overall priority score was determined by combining priority score based on consumption with the degree of potential environment exposure. Twenty veterinary antibiotic AIs were classified as 'Very high' or 'High' priority requiring detailed assessment. The antibiotic AIs were identified four aminoglycosides, two macrolides, two penicillins, five sulfonamides, three tetracyclines, two quinolones, and two miscellaneous. Eight veterinary antibiotic AIs including amoxicillin, carbadox, chlortetracycline, neomycin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, and tylosin were identified to have a greater priority of environmental risk in Korea.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.459-463
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• 2013

A study investigated the effects of a mixture of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) on diarrhea incidence, immune response, and fecal microflora counts in post-weaning piglets. One hundred 28-day-old piglets were randomly assigned to five treatment groups: negative control (NC), free of antibiotics; positive control (PC), 0.03% chlortetracycline; LB 1, a mixture of L. plantarum and B. subtilis (LB) 0.5 kg/ton feed; LB 2, LB 1.0 kg/ton feed; and LB 3, LB 2.0 kg/ton feed. Diarrhea scores for LB 2 and LB 3 from the 2nd week were significantly reduced compared to NC (P<0.05). In terms of the level of IgG and IFN-${\gamma}$, all treatment groups were significantly higher than NC (P<0.05), and the IgG level of LB 3 was significantly higher than that of PC (P<0.05). Furthermore, fecal lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts for LB 2 and LB 3 were significantly higher than those of NC and PC (P<0.05). In addition, fecal Enterobacteriaceae (ENT) counts for PC, LB 2 and LB 3 were significantly lower than those of NC (P<0.05). Based on the results from this study, it was concluded that a combination of L. plantarum and B. subtilis strains could be used as potential alternatives to antibiotics to prevent diarrhea incidence in piglets.