Effects of dietary probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on broiler growth performance and intestinal histomorphology

The effects of Paenibacillus xylanexedens, alone or in combination with inulin and lactulose were evaluated on growth performance and intestinal histomorphology of male broilers. A total of 168 one-day-old male broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 4 experimental groups as follows: C, basal diet (control; without supplementation); P, 1x10(9) cfu/kg-feed P. xylanexedens; IN, 1x10(9) cfu/kg-feed P. xylanexedens and 1% inulin; LAC, 1x10(9) cfu/kg-feed P. xylanexedens and 0.5% lactulose. Addition of P. xylanexedens and synbiotics significantly increased broiler body weight gain (P<0.001) and feed conversion ratio (P=0.023) from 1 to 21 day of age. Moreover, a significant increase in body weight gain was observed when birds were fed with synbiotic supplemented diets during the overall experimental period (P=0.013). The addition of probiotic and synbiotics increased (P=0.047) villus height in ileum on day 42. Our results indicate that P. xylanexedens can be used as a probiotic feed additive in broiler diets and can improve broiler performance and intestinal histomorphology.