Abstract
The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of muramidase (MUR) supplemented to diets formulated with different fiber sources (inert or fermentable) on the growth performance and intestinal parameters of broiler chickens raised under different coccidiosis management programs. A total of 2,208 male Ross 308 broilers were housed in 96 floor pens and distributed into a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized block design with 2 sources of fiber (inert or fermentable fiber), 3 coccidiosis management programs (none, vaccine, or Salinomycin), and with or without supplementation of MUR at 35,000 LSU(F)/kg of diet. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for each feeding phase (d 0-14, d 14-28, d 28-36) and from d 0 to 36. On d 17 and d 31, samples were taken to analyze several parameters. The experimental data were analyzed with 3-way ANOVA considering the main effect of fiber source, coccidiosis program, inclusion of MUR, and their interactions using JMP 16.2. 16S rDNA sequencing of the ileal and cecal content was carried out to analyze the diversity, composition, and predictive function of the microbiota. From d 0 to 36, BWG increased (P = 0.05) by 2.5% in birds supplemented with Salinomycin (P = 0.04), and by 2.2% with MUR supplementation (P = 0.02). Salinomycin and MUR improved FCR (P < 0.0001) when compared to nonsupplemented birds. The supplementation of MUR, regardless of the coccidiosis management program, reduced the intestinal viscosity (P = 0.03). On d 31, the highest blood concentration of carotenoids was observed in chickens fed diets supplemented with Salinomycin. MUR led to significant changes in the diversity, composition, and predictive function of the ileal microbiota, mainly on d 31. The results observed herein further explain the positive effects of MUR on the growth performance of broiler chickens.