Volume 10 Jan - June 2014 Ibadan Journal of Agricultural Research 01 Volume 10 Jan - June 2014 Ibadan Journal of Agricultural Research 02 Influence of dietary supplementation of probiotics And symbiotics on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and organ weights in turkey poults * Agboola, A. F., B. R. O. Omidiwura, O. Odu, W. T. Adeyemi, S. A. Suberu, I. Aroniyo and E. A. Iyayi Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria *Corresponding author: E mail: aadebunmi@yahoo.com Abstract This experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of probiotic and mixture of prebiotic and probiotic (symbiotic) as dietary growth promoters in place of antibiotics on performance, nutrient digestibility and organ weight in turkeys. One hundred and twenty eight 7-day-old unsexed turkey poults were randomly distributed into 4 dietary treatments consisting of 4 replicates with 8 poults per replicate in a randomised complete block design. A corn-soya bean based diet with no antibiotic (negative control) was formulated according to the recommendations of NRC for starter (8 to 28 days) and grower poults (29 to 56 days). The remaining 4 diets consisted of the basal diet with antibiotic (positive control); a negative control with probiotic and a negative control with symbiotic. Titanium dioxide was added at the rate of 5g/kg feed as an indigestible marker. On day 56, the birds were slaughtered and digesta samples were collected from the terminal ileum for determination of nutrient digestibility. Supplementation with probiotic significantly increased (P < 0.05) the weight gain of turkey poults at starter phase compared to those on other dietary treatments. Supplementation with probiotic or symbiotic had no effect on the growth performance at the grower phase and organ weights. Apparent crude protein digestibility was significantly (P<0.05) increased by probiotic and symbiotic supplementations compared to the negative control diet. Diets with symbiotic had significantly (P<0.05) higher CP digestibility values (91.0%) than the positive control diet with 72.3%. Apparent digestibility of ether extract (EE) was significantly higher (P< 0.05) in birds on the negative control basal diet. These response factors were similar in the probiotic, symbiotic and positive control diets. In summary, dietary probiotics and symbiotics improved the performance and nutrient digestibility of turkey poults but had no effect on the weight of organs. Keywords: Probiotic, Symbiotic, Antibiotic, Turkey poults 2006 (EU, 2003; 2006). Other countries are likely to follow the EU example. The need for viable alternatives that could enhance the gut health of poultry and invariably their performance have been advocated. Several workers have reported the efficacy of a variety of products, e.g. organic acids (Brzóska et al., 2007), probiotics (Midilli et al., 2008), prebiotics (Jung et al., 2008) and symbiotics (Zulkifli et al., 2000). The use of specific feed additives to modulate gut microbiota resulting in improved performance have been reported (Tuohy et al., 2005). A balanced gut microbiota constitutes an efficient barrier against pathogen colonisation, produces metabolic substrates (e.g. vitamins and short-chain fatty acids) and stimulates the immune system in a non-inflammatory manner. Such potential alternatives are prebiotics and probiotics. Probiotics and Manna oligosaccharides (MOS) have the potential to enhance growth rate, feed efficiency, and livability in poultry species (Patterson and Burkholder, 2003). Probiotics added in adequate quantity to water or feed have beneficial influence on animal health (Stanton et al., 1997). Their mode of action is based on the inhibition of development of intestinal tract pathogenic bacteria, by decreasing the pH of intestinal digesta. They also neutralize enterotoxins created by pathogenic E. coli strains, and produce the antibiotic-like substances against pathogenic microbiota (Jin et al., 1997; Jadamus et al., 2002). Improved performances in poultry that received probiotics in their diets have been reported by Homma and Shinohara (2004) and Nava et al. (2005). Kumprecht and Zobac (1997) reported that the inclusion of prebiotics in broiler finisher diets resulted in a significant improvement in body weight and feed conversion ratio, with a level of 2 g/kg being the most effective. While there is much report of the beneficial effects of probiotics and prebiotics in broilers and laying hens, information on their effect on turkey is limited. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of probiotics and symbiotics (prebiotics and probiotics) on the performance and nutrient digestibility in turkey poults. Materials and methods Experimental diets and management of the turkey poults One hundred and twenty eight (128) seven-day-old unsexed turkey poults used for this experiment were obtained from a reputable commercial hatchery. The poults were brooded for 7 days after which they were weighed, tagged and randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments sorted by body weight in a completely randomized block design. Each dietary treatment had 4 replicates of 8 turkey poults per replicate. The experimental diets and fresh water were supplied ad libitum during the study period that lasted for 8 weeks. The basal diet was a corn-soya bean meal diet formulated to meet the nutrient requirements (NRC, 1994) for starter (8 to 28 days) and grower (29 to 56 days) turkeys. Diet 1 was the negative control (basal without antibiotic); Diet 2 was the positive control (basal with oxytetracycline hydrochloride added at the rate 200 g/tonne feed). In Diets 3 and 4, 500 g/tonne probiotic (Lactobacillus sporogenes+Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Introduction The residue of antibiotics from feeds reported in poultry products has been of health concern in humans, because of the potential development of antimicrobial resistance and the transference of antibiotic resistant genes from animal to human microbiota (Salyers et al., 2004; Mathur and Singh, 2005). As a result, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry has been banned in the European Union since January 1,