The response of rice based dry distiller's grains with soluble (DDGS) feeding on gastrointestinal microbiota and immunity in layer's diet

A biological experiment was undertaken in a 4x2 factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with 45 wk old CARI Sonali layers (n=120) which was assigned to eight treatments (i.e. twocontrols + sixtest diets) in such a way that each treatment has 15 replicates with one layer in each replicate for ten weeks (45^th-54^th week of age). Theexperimental diets were prepared by incorporating rice DDGS at 0, 5, 7.5 and 10% levels (D1, D2, D3, D4); proteaseenzyme supplemented in rice DDGS at the above levels (D5, D6, D7, D8). All the diets wereis-caloric and is-nitrogenousin nature.Dietary inclusion of rice DDGS with and without proteaseenzyme improved the immune response in layers measured in terms of cell mediated immune response to phytohaemag glutinin-P and humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells.Rice DDGS with and without proteaseenzyme has beneficial effect on gut health in terms of bacterial population. Inclusion of 7.5 and 10% level of DDGS was found to lower (P<0.05) the total viable count TVC in crop. However, lactobacillus count in jejunum was significantly higher (P<0.01) at 5, 7.5 and 10% levels of DDGS with maximum effect at 10% level of DDGS but no effect was observed incrop region. Significantly (P<0.01) higher lactobacillus count was also observed in jejunum whenprotease enzyme was incorporated.