Propolis in lymphoid morphometry and bacteria control in range chickens

Abstract

The ancestral knowledge and the need to find natural alternatives for controlling pathogenic enterobacteria, stimulation of the immune system and body weight gain in range chickens allowed to develop this study. 99 Redbro range chickens were used, of one day old and an average weight of 43 g, animals that were organized into two groups: trial (subdivided into two blocks D1 and D2) and witnesses (D3); the experimental unit of 11 chickens. Birds of the trial group received propolis to crop and at doses of 1 ml (block D1) and 2 ml (block D2) fed with feed without anabolic, dyes or antibiotics; meanwhile chickens in the control group (block D3) received conventional breeding instead. The assay was evaluated by variables such as: feed conversion (FC); spleen morphometric indices (IMb), bursa (IMb) and thymus (IMt); mortality of chickens and cloacal swabs bacteriology. The results calculated with Microsoft Excel 2010 program showed statistical differences (p <0.05) for most variables, no significant between blocks, significance between treatments, no significance for feed intake and mortality. Best (CA) for D2 to 1.40, while D3 to 1.73. Timo (p <0.05), the block D2 showed uperiority weight of 2.86 g and 2.38 (IMt); bursa of Fabricius to block D2 (4.3 g and 0.58 (IMB), while the thymus block D3 (2.3 g, 0.53 IMT), and bursa (4.1 g, 0.53 IMB). For bacterial action in block D3, 30 CFU Salmonella gallinarum and 32 CFU E. coli; no significance for blocks D1 and D2. It is concluded that propolis develops antibacterial effects and by morphometric indices, it appears to stimulate the immune system in chickens treated with this natural product.