This study investigated the effects of diets containing 0% or 20% DDGS, with or without enzyme supplementation, on broiler chickens subjected to a necrotic enteritis challenge. Key results showed that chickens fed DDGS and subjected to the challenge had poorer growth performance and higher caecal Clostridium perfringens counts. Serum IgA and IgM levels were also lower in challenged birds fed DDGS diets. Enzyme supplementation helped maintain feed intake and weight gain for challenged birds on DDGS diets without significantly affecting gut microflora or immune response. High DDGS inclusion may increase susceptibility to necrotic enteritis by allowing greater C. perfringens proliferation.

1. The effect of high dietary
inclusion of DDGS, enzyme
supplementation and necrotic
enteritis challenge on gut
microflora and immune response
of broiler chickens
M.R. Barekatain1, C. Antipatis2, S.W. Walkden-Brown1,
P.A. Iji1, and M. Choct3
1- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale NSW,
Australia
2- DSM Nutritional Products Asia Pacific Pty Ltd. 2 Havelock Road, 59763, Singapore
3- Poultry Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), Armidale NSW, Australia

2. Aims and objectives
What is known?
 Several studies have been conducted to assess the impact of this
DDGS on broiler chicken performance.
 Previous positive response to protease (Peek et al., 2009) for coccidial
infection and xylanase (Choct et al., 1999) for suppression of C.
perfringens in the intestine of broilers
What is unknown?
 Any possible health or immune modulatory effect of DDGS in poultry
under a disease challenge (necrotic enteritis)?
 What effect might the addition of protease and xylanase with
inclusion of DDGS have under NE?

3. Methods
A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to investigate the
effects of 3 factors:
1. Diets (0 and 20 % DDGS)
2. A blend of xylanase and protease supplementation (with or without),
3. NE challenge (challenged or unchallenged) and their interactions
Wheat and soy based diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and
isonitrogenous
 Day 9 : Inoculation with Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima and E. bruneti.
 Day 14, 15 and 16: oral gavages of C. perfringens
Microbial profile in ileum and caeca before (and after challenge.
Serum immunoglobulin by ELISA assays

4. Key results
• Interaction of diet and challenge disease in infected birds fed diet
containing DDGS after inoculations with C. perfringens led to poorer
growth performance.
Small intestine NE lesion score (d 17)
FCR 14-21 d
1.2
a
2.5
a
1
a
b
c
c
Unchallenged
0.4
FI(g)/WG(g)
Lesion score
bcd
0.6
1
0.5
d
d
d
d
bcd
cd
Unchallenged
Challenged
Challenged
d
bc
1.5
0.2
0
b
2
0.8
0

5. Key results (Gut microflora)
Caecal C. perfringens (d 17)
6
a
a
5
Log Cfu/g digesta
 DDGS inclusion interacted
with challenge disease
increasing caecal C.
perfringens counts
 A tendency for suppression
of Lactobacilli in ileal
content of birds fed diet
containing DDGS.
 No significant effect of
xylanase and protease
c
c
4
d
d
d
3
d
Unchallenged
Challenged
2
1
0
Control
Cntl+Enzyme
DDGS
DDGS+Enzyme

6. Serum immunoglobulin
Notable interaction:
• Serum IgA and IgM response was lower in the infected birds
fed diets containing DDGS (d 21).
Main effects:
 Incorporation of DDGS to the diets increased (P < 0.01) the
IgA and IgG titers at d 13 (before C. p), but decreased them at
d 21(after C. p)(P < 0.05).
 Birds fed diets containing DDGS also had lower (P < 0.05) IgM
at d 35.
 Enzyme treatment independently increased (P <0.01) the IgG
titer at d 21.

7. Implications
 High dietary inclusion of DDGS may increase susceptibility
to necrotic enteritis in broilers
 Increased C. perfringens proliferation may be associated
with lower protein or amino acid digestibility of the diet
containing DDGS (Barekatain et al. 2013 Anim Feed Sci Tech)
 By a tendency, supplementation of protease and xylanase
helped the infected birds fed DDGS to maintain feed intake
and BW without significant effect on gut microflora or serum
immunoglobulins

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