Effects of antimicrobial peptides on growth performance and small intestinal function in broilers under chronic heat stress

Abstract

Thirty-six 16-day-old broiler chicks were used to assess the effects of swine gut intestinal antimicrobial peptides (SGAMP) on growth performance and small intestinal function of broilers under chronic heat stress. The results showed that compared with the heat stress group, the SGAMP added group showed greater average daily gain and feed efficiency, less histological and ultrastructural lesions, greater height of villus and thickness of gut mucosa, greater activity of alkaline phosphatase, more intestine intraepithelial lymphocytes, higher ratio of secreting IgA, less goblet cell number, and lower ratios of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, heat shock protein 70, and glucose-6-phosphatase (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). These results indicated that SGAMP could effectively resist the adverse effects of chronic heat stress by reducing the intestinal injury and maintaining the normal intestinal structure, absorption function, and mucosal immunity in broilers under heat stress.