Abstract

PROTECTIVE EFFECTS, BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES AND SOME INFLAMMATORY MARKERS OF BETAINE AFTER EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION OF COCCIDIOSIS IN BROILER CHICKENS

Abdel Maksoud H. A.*, Mahfouz M. K., Emam M. A., Saber El Hanbally, Ahmed Elkhatam and Mansour W. H.

ABSTRACT

A total number of 250 one day old cobb broiler chicks were taken, and divided into five experimental groups to investigate the effect of betaine during an experimental coccidial infection in broilers. The chicks were divided into 5 groups (50 birds for each) with different supplementations. The choice groups were infected orally by inoculation by 3×104 of sporulated oocyst according of E. Tenella per bird at 14-d. of age. Coccidia infection in poultry caused a significant increase in serum level of creatinine, potassium, Magnesium, IL-2, and IL-6, but a significant decrease in serum Sodium, and Calcium. Supplementation of betaine to infected group exhibited a significant decrease in serum level of creatinine, potassium, Magnesium, IL-2, and IL-6, but there were a significant increase in serum Sodium and Calcium after 3 days of the 1st and 2nd treatment doses compared with infected-non treated group. The obtained results showed significant decrease in serum kidney function when compared with non-treated infected group. Administration of betaine in coccidiosis caused significant improvement of all previous parameters towards its normal ranges. Histological evidence showed that betaine supplementation altered the morphology of the cells lining the small intestine of poultry and stabilizes the structure of the gut mucosa and accumulation of betaine by these tissues would make them less susceptible to the damaging effects of the elevated osmolarity of gut contents and would thus render them less susceptible to thermally induced damage to gut tissue. These results suggested that betaine treatment may have a protective effect against coccidiosis induced intestinal damage and oxidative stress in chicken.

Keywords: Betaine, Coccidia, Amprolium, interleukin.