EFFECT OF PROLONGED ADMINISTRATION OF DIETARY CAPSAICIN ON BROILER GROWTH AND SALMONELLA-ENTERITIDIS SUSCEPTIBILITY

The effect of continuous (42 days) dietary administration of 5 or 20 p pm capsaicin to broiler chickens on Salmonella enteritidis susceptibil ity, bodyweight, and feed efficiency was investigated. Chickens were w eighed at 1, 21, and 42 days of age. No significant differences in bod y weight or feed efficiency were observed. Chickens were challenged wi th 1 x 10(8) colony-forming units of S. enteritidis at 21, 28, or 42 d ays of age. The S. enteritidis positive culture rate for cecal tonsils was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the treatment groups receiving 5 ppm or 20 ppm dietary capsaicin than in the untreated control group at all challenge times. Dietary capsaicin (5 and 20 ppm) resulted in p rotection against S. enteritidis organ invasion at 28 days in one expe riment and at both 21 and 42 days in the other. These results indicate that continual dietary capsaicin administration increases resistance to S. enteritidis colonization and organ invasion throughout the norma l growth period without detrimental effects on growth in broiler chick ens.