Pim Langhout, Technical Director, Nutriad International NV
In
practical conditions, performance is often lower than the genetic potential of
birds. This is generally associated with a sub-optimal development of the
intestinal tract. A lot of research has been carried out over the last couple
of years to study the nutritional factors that have a positive effect on gut
integrity. An interesting molecule in this respect is butyric acid. Recent
research in human health has shown interesting properties of butyric acid in
the development and maintenance of optimal gut integrity. Butyric acid, when
present in the blood stream, stimulates mRNA that increases cell proliferation
for villi development. Moreover, when butyric acid is present in the lower part
of the intestinal tract it can attach to specific G-protein receptor cells.
These receptor cells will improve feed utilization via a better feed passage
rate as well as regulate and optimize the response to inflammatory stimuli. In
addition to this, butyric acid can also inhibit the colonization of pathogenic
bacteria such as Salmonella. Trials
with broiler chicks clearly show that providing butyric acid in the form of a
slow release Na-butyrate improves the development of the intestinal tract which
can, in part, explain the improvement in performance of the animals.
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