Effects of dietary inclusion of probiotic Lactobacillus spp. on visceral organ weights, blood biochemical parameters, and antibody titers against Newcastle disease and infectious bursal disease in broiler chickens

This study evaluated the health status and immunological responses of broiler chickens supplemented with Lactobacillus spp. A total of 252 one-day-old male broilers were randomly allocated into 36 pens (7 birds per pen) and assigned to six dietary treatments: a positive control (Zn bacitracin; T1), a negative control (T2), freeze-dried Lactobacillus fermentum I25 (T3), paraprobiotic L. fermentum I25 (T4), freeze-dried Lactobacillus brevis C10 (T5), and paraprobiotic L. brevis C10 (T6). On days 14 and 42, birds were sacrificed for visceral organ weighing, blood biochemical analysis, and determination of antibody titers against Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bursal disease (IBD). Visceral weight was significantly increased in T5 at week 6. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels increased in all Lactobacillus-supplemented groups at week 2, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were elevated in T6 at week 2 and in T3 at week 6. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations were higher in T4 at week 6 and in T3, T5, and T6 at week 2, whereas low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels increased in T5 at week 2 and in T4 at both weeks 2 and 6. Antibody titers against ND increased in all treatments at weeks 2 and 6, while IBD titers were significantly higher in T6 at both sampling times and in T4 and T5 at week 6. Overall, dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus spp., particularly in paraprobiotic form, positively modulated immune responses in broiler chickens.

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