Digestive and bacterial enzyme activities in broilers fed diets supplemented with Lactobacillus cultures

A study was carried out to investigate the effects of adherent Lactobacillu s cultures on 1) amylolytic, lipolytic, and proteolytic enzyme activities i n the contents of the small intestine (from the distal end of the duodenum to the ileocecal junction) and 2) bacterial beta-glucuronidase and beta-glu cosidase activities in the intestinal contents and feces of broiler chicken s. Three dietary treatments were randomly assigned to three groups of chick s, i.e., basal diet only (control group), basal diet + 0.1% dried culture o f Lactobacillus adidophillus, and basal diet + 0.1%: dried culture of a mix ture of 12 Lactobacillus strains. The results showed that supplementation o f the adherent Lactobacillus cultures to chickens, either as a single strai n of L. acidophilus or as a mixture of 12 Lactobacillus strains, increased significantly (P < 0.05) the levels of amylase in the small intestine. Howe ver, the proteulytic and lipolytic activities in the small intestine were n ot affected by addition of either of the adherent Lactobacillus cultures, A ddition of either L. acidophilus or a mixture of 12 Lactobacillus strains w as also found to reduce significantly (P < 0.05) the intestinal and fecal b eta-aglucuronidase and fecal beta-glucosidase but not the intestinal beta-g lucosidase at 40 d of feeding.