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Improving immunity in poultry, Thanks to Algae!

Poultry producers are aiming to have the best livestock health and to limit the use of antibiotics at the same time.

11-06-2020 Animal Care

Nowadays, poultry producers are looking to have the best livestock health, while limiting the use of the antibiotics. Alternative maximising the efficiency and profitability prophylactic vaccination strategies and protecting animal against pathogens are therefore of major importance. To achieve this goal, new avenues are constantly being explored. One of them concerns the use of new molecules extracted from seaweeds for stimulation of the body’s natural defences and its response to vaccination strategies.

Feeding a consistently growing population is the main pressure in fast production cycle. With the advancement of genetics, improvements in animal husbandry and better nutrition, we can now produce more in very small place and in less time. As we increase the production, we also increase nutritional requirements, biosecurity, animal health and environmental pressure. Together with this high demand in production, there is a global pressure to produce safe and healthy food without antibiotics.

Poultry farm.

Decreasing or eliminating the use of antibiotics is a major challenge. Factors like management, nutrition and animal health plays important roles in minimizing the use of antibiotics in animal production. Improving immunity of the animal is one of the many key points we can focus on how we can decrease the use of antibiotics.

With the help of a specific Sulfated Polysaccharides from marine origin or what Olmix named MSP^® and its unique biological properties that can stimulate the animal’s immune system for better vaccine uptake it is now possible to improve animal’s immunity and reduce the use of antibiotics.

MSP® extract from Ulva was tested in intestinal porcine epithelial cells or IPEC-1 (Berri., et al 2016) to see its effect on immune stimulation. The study yielded an increase in cytokines expressions namely CCL20, IL 8, TNF-a, and IL-1a and other cytokines which are statistically significant. This increase shows it can have an effect on the immune system, up regulating these cytokines prepare the animal to uptake vaccines.

The study lead to the development of the product Searup with thus MSP®_IMMUNITY as it active component together with vitamins, amino acids and minerals that are naturally occurring in the algae. Global in vivo trials showed very good results for broilers, layers and breeders. A trial in France in around 20,400 pullets for control group and Searup group was set up. Application was made on first 1-3days of life and one day before vaccination and two days after vaccination of ND for the entire 16 weeks of pullet grow out. Blood samples were collected to see antibody titers, mortalities and feed consumptions were also recorded all along the trial.

Poultry farm.

The trial yielded a very good coefficient of variation for the Searup group vs control (insert table) resulting to better homogeneity of response of the animal to vaccination. Better immune response homogeneity gives the animal good protection from the vaccine. To go further, the results showed a good decrease in mortality during the grow out phase which gave a 41% less mortality rate vs control, which showed animals are healthy with response to Searup.

Conclusion:

Other trials show similar results especially using Searup around vaccination. Globally a good coefficient of variation and a decrease of mortality are the most dramatic response of the animal to Searup. It was also noted during the trial that birds use less antibiotic and birds are healthy.

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