Effects of Feed Restriction and Prebiotic Supplementation on Growth Performance, Immune Responses, Microbial Population, and Intestinal Morphology of Broiler Chickens

Document Type : Original Paper

Authors

1 Animal Science Research Department, Gilan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Rasht, Iran

2 Animal Nutrition and Physiology Research Department, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran

10.22069/psj.2025.23702.2335

Abstract

This study examined the effects of feed restriction and prebiotic supplementation on broiler chickens’ performance, immune response, gut microbiota, and intestinal morphology. A total of 240 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments: control (C), feed restriction (FR), prebiotic supplementation (P), and a combination of prebiotic supplementation with feed restriction (FR+P). The prebiotic contained mannan-oligosaccharides (MOSs) and beta-glucans at 0.1% of the diet. Feed restriction was set at 80% ad libitum intake during the second week. The findings indicated that prebiotic supplementation increased the feed intake and weight gain, particularly during the early growth phase (p< 0.05). Feed restriction resulted in low daily weight gain and impaired cellular immune response (p< 0.05); however, these detrimental effects were partially mitigated by prebiotic supplementation. The FR+P group treated at 21 days had higher counts of Lactobacillus with lower coliform counts in the cecum (p< 0.05). Moreover, prebiotic supplementation improved intestinal morphology as indicated by an increase in villus height and crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum with a significant effect in the FR+P and P groups (p< 0.05). The FR+P group recorded the highest villus height of the duodenum at 21 days, whereas the highest jejunal villus height and duodenal crypt depth were observed in the P group at 42 days (p< 0.05). The cell-mediated immunity, as determined by footpad swelling following the injection of PHA, was greatly enhanced in birds fed prebiotics compared to birds with feed restriction alone (p< 0.05). Overall, prebiotics, particularly with feed restriction, enhanced gut health, immune function, and intestinal morphology, suggesting their potential in broiler production.

Keywords

References

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Poultry Science Journal
Volume 14, Issue 1
January 2026
Pages 91-99

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