Effect of dietary supplementation of protected organic acids on ileal microflora and protein digestibility in broiler chickens.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 3 diets containing different levels (0, 0.2 and 0.4%) of protected organic acids (formate and propionate) on the gut microflora and ileal protein digestibility in broiler chicks. One hundred and fifty six broilers in a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replicates for each treatment were employed. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Ileal pH and gut microflora at 24 and 42 days of age and ileal protein digestibility on day 42 were determined. The result showed that different levels of protected organic acids had no significant effects on ileal protein digestibility. The acidity of ileal digesta, colony count of Lactobacillus and Coliforms were significantly affected by protected organic acids (p<0.05). On days 24 and 42, increasing the level of protected organic acids, significantly decreased pH of digesta flow in ileum (p<0.05). Organic acids significantly (p<0.05) increased colony count of Lactobacillus and decreased colony count of Coliforms in digesta at 24 and 42 days of age. Colony counts of Lactobacillus and Coliforms were higher on day 42 compared to 24. The results showed that dietary supplementation of 0.2% of protected organic acids can improves proliferation of useful microflora and diminishes population of harmful bacteria in poultry gut contents.