Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on Chicks’ Intestinal and Immune Indexes

In the context of a complete prohibition on antibiotic utilization, This research sought to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum supplementation on slaughter performance, serum antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and structure, the expression of relevant genes and serum immune function in chickens.

A total of 120 healthy one-day-old chicks were randomly divided into two groups as control group and treatment group, each with 6 replicates of 10 chicks. The control group was maintained on a standard feeding regimen, whereas the experimental group was fed with the same feed but supplemented with L. plantarum. Samples were collected and tested after a feeding period of 30 days.

The L. plantarum supplemented group demonstrated a notable elevation (p<0.05) in thigh muscle percentage, spleen index, as well as an enhanced thymus index when compared to the control group. Furthermore, intestinal villus height exhibited a marked increase (p<0.05). The levels of gene expression were substantially upregulated. particularly for TLR-21, AVBD-2, AVBD-9, IFN-α and IL-10. Conversely, the expression of TNF-α was markedly suppressed. The antioxidant capacity and level of immunoglobulin A (IgA) were markedly elevated (p<0.05). To summarize, the inclusion of L. plantarum in the diet notably improved chickens’ slaughter outcomes, serum antioxidant potential and intestinal anatomical structure. These findings strongly support the potential use of L. plantarum as an antibiotic substitute in poultry production.