SELECTIVE ENRICHMENT OF BIFIDOBACTERIA IN THE INTESTINAL-TRACT OF BROILERS BY THERMALLY PRODUCED KESTOSES AND EFFECT ON BROILER PERFORMANCE

A series of kestose oligosaccharides have been produced from pyrolysis of sucrose and the effects of feeding these thermal kestoses on broil er performance and cecal microbial populations were evaluated. Eighty- four broiler chicks (day-old Hubbard x Hubbard) were fed either a nutr itionally complete basal starter diet (control), the starter diet dres sed with 8% of other sugars found in the thermal kestoses mixture (glu cose, sucrose, and fructose), or the starter diet dressed with 10% cru de thermal kestoses (2% kestoses, 8% other sugars) for a 4-wk period. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly. After 4 wk the birds were killed, cecal contents were collected, and selected microbial po pulations were enumerated. Weight gains were 938, 968, and 989 g for c ontrol, other sugars, and thermal kestoses groups, respectively. There were no dietary effects on weight gain, feed conversion, or concentra tions of total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, aerobically enumerated lac tobacilli, total anaerobes, or clostridia. Cecal bifidobacterial conce ntrations were increased (P < 0.001) 24-fold in kestose-treated birds compared with controls, with bifidobacterial concentrations being 8.98 , 9.09, and 10.36 log(10) cfu/g cecal DM in birds fed the control, oth er sugars, and thermal kestoses diets, respectively. Anaerobically enu merated ladobacilli concentrations in kestose-treated birds were incre ased (P < 0.007) sevenfold compared with controls, with lactobacilli c oncentrations being 9.56, 9.53, and 10.36 log(10) cfu/g cecal contents , respectively. Thermally produced kestoses altered intestinal bacteri al populations in broilers and may have potential to enhance health an d performance under the appropriate conditions.