Comparative evaluation of growth performance, gut morphology, micro-flora, haematology and immune response of broilers fed with Sodium butyrate and Saccharomycescerevisiae supplemented diets

The effects of dietary sodium butyrate (SB) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) on some bodily parameters of chickens were evaluated. One hundred and twentyday-old broilers (CHI, Ajanla Farms,Ibadan, Nigeria) were randomly divided into four treatments A, B, C and D, consisting three replicate pens of 10 chickens. They were fed as follows: A-diet withoutsupplement (control); B-(200mg/kg SB); C-(200mg/kg SB+1.0g/kg SC), and D-(1.0g/kg SC). Growth performance, organ weights, carcass quality, and lipid profile were determined. Intestinal villus height(VH), villus width (VW), villus surface area (VSA), crypt depth (CD), villus height to crypts depth ratio (VH: CD) were assessed. Some selected bacteria population, haematology, serum biochemistry and humoral immune responses against NDV and SRBCs antigens were evaluated. Supplementation increased growth performance, bursa and thymus weights. There was significantly (p<0.05) higher dressing percentage and lower cholesterol in groups B and C. High density lipoprotein and triglyceride were reduced significantly in B. Triglyceride and abdominal fat were significantly higher inD. The CD was higher (p<0.05) in duodenum of the control. In supplemented groups, VSA and VH: CD in the threeintestinal segments, VH in duodenum and jejunum were enhanced. Supplementation lowered gut microflora, increased WBC, lymphocyte counts and immune performance. DietC stimulated more positive influence on productive parameters and could be an alternative growth promoter in broilers.