This experiment was conducted to investigate the use of Lactobacillus acidophilus against Campylobacter jejuni colonization in broiler chickens, using 120 one-day-old broiler chickens of Ross 308 strain in a completely randomized design with three treatments, five replications, and eight chicken pieces in each replication. Experimental treatments included 1) negative control (basal diet, no Campylobacter jejuni challenge and no additives); 2) positive control (basic diet, challenge with Campylobacter jejuni and no additives) and 3) basic diet + Campylobacter jejuni challenge + Lactobacillus acidophilus (1.5 x 108 cfu per kg of diet).
According to the results of the present experiment, the challenge with Campylobacter jejuni caused a significant decrease in body weight, food yield and production efficiency index in the final and total periods, a decrease in lymphocytes, villus length and the ratio of villus length to crypt depth in jejunum and ileum, the surface area of jejunum and ileum villi, percentage dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, pH of breast meat, breast weight and lactobacillus and a significant increase in feed conversion ratio in the final and total period, increase in alanine aminotransferase enzyme, red blood cell, red blood cell volume, heterophil percentage, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, Jejunum crypt depth, brightness of breast meat and redness of thigh and breast meat, aerobic bacteria and campylobacter were found (P<0.05). The addition of Lactobacillus acidophilus partially compensated the effect of campylobacterjejuni on this enzyme to the extent of the control treatment.
The effect of experimental treatments on thymus weight, loss during cooking of the calf muscle, loss during cooking and blood loss of the breast muscle, total aerobic bacteria of the liver, breast and thigh, Campylobacter of the liver, breast and thigh, total aerobic bacteria of the dry matter of the liver, breast and thigh and Campylobacter dry matter of liver, breas