Preventive, Behavioral, Productive, and Tissue Modification using Green Synthesized Selenium Nanoparticles in the Drinking Water of Two Broiler Breeds under Microbial Stress

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to investigate the influence of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPS) and inorganic selenium supplementation in the drinking water on behavior, performance, and immunity of Arbor Acres® and Ross®308 broilers exposed to E. coli O157:H7 1.6 × 108 challenge at the 10th day of age. 180 one-day-old female broilers were divided into six groups, each with 30 chicks. G1 and G4 were supplied with 1 mL SeNPS 100 mg.L-1/L, G2 and G5 were supplied with 1 mL inorganic selenium 100 mg.L-1/L, and G3 and G6 were supplied with non-supplemented water. Where, G1, G2, and G3 were Arbor Acres®, while G4, G5, and G6 were Ross®308 broilers. A total of 1280 samples (160 sera, 160 intestinal swabs and 960 organ samples including liver, spleen, bursa, heart, breast muscles, and thymus) were collected in a study period of 38 days. A highly significant increase (p<0.01) of weight gain, feed conversion, performance index, total protein, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, immunoglobulin G and M, total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase was recorded in G4 Ross®308 compared to other supplemented and control groups. G1 Arbor Acres® and G4 Ross®308 broilers, also revealed a highly significant decline (p<0.01) in total bacterial and enterobacteriaceae counts of intestine and breast muscles compared to G2 Arbor Acres® and G5 Ross®308 broilers and to controls. Photomicrographs revealed a higher degree of cellular and tissue protection in G4 and G5 Ross®308 compared to G1 and G2 Arbor Acres® broilers. An improvement from SeNPS supplementation was detected on behavior, performance, bacterial load, immunological, antioxidant profiles, and tissue architecture in broilers breeds with special reference to Ross®308 compared to Arbor Acres® broilers.