Two independent trials were conducted to assess the effect of Herbanoplex CP (HB) on broiler chicken's performance using a 1) a nondefined challenge or 2) necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge model with intestinal lesion scoring. Herbanoplex CP is a unique combination of phytocompounds (ground hops, wheat germ, and chicory). In Exp 1, 400-day-old male chicks (Cobb 500) were individually tagged, weighed, and randomly assigned to one of 20 pens (n = 20 birds/pen). Pens were randomly assigned per treatment group: 4 treatments with 5 replicates each (n = 100 birds/treatment). T1: no modification; T2: antibiotic growth promoter bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) 11% at 0.5 kg/metric ton); T3: HB 1 kg/metric ton; and T4: HB at 0.5 kg/metric ton. On day 7, 14, 15 of life, all birds in all treatment groups were challenged by drinking water with a liter filtrate as a nondefined challenge model. Their performance was evaluated at day 35. T3 had a significant (P-value < 0.05) increase in body weight gain (BWG) and a significant reduction in FCR compared with the rest of the experimental groups. Interestingly, chickens in T2, showed similar BWG and FCR when compared with chickens in T4. In Exp 2, 100-day-old male broiler chicks were divided into 5 groups and allocated in isolation cages. T1: birds without Clostridium perfringens (CP) challenge; T2: birds with CP challenge; T3: birds with CP challenge plus HB at 1 kg/metric ton; T4: birds with CP challenge plus HB at 0.75 kg/metric ton and T5: birds with CP challenge plus HB at 0.5 kg/metric ton. At day 13, all chickens were vaccinated with 10x coccidia oocysts. At day 14, all chickens were treated with a 10x dose of infectious bursal disease vaccine. From day 15 to day 19, chickens in challenge groups (T2, T3, T4, and T5) were orally gavaged with 10⁸ cfu of C. perfringens twice a day. At day 21, all chickens were euthanized, and NE intestinal lesion scores were recorded. Chickens in T3 and T4 exposed to a NE challenge model showed significantly reduced lesion scores compared with the rest of the groups. Furthermore, in vitro minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays revealed that HB had the lowest MIC at both 24 h (390 μg/mL) and 48 h (625 μg/mL) against C. perfringens. Herbanoplex CP showed similar response to BMD in a nonspecific challenge model in promoting growth performance (Exp 1). Moreover, HB reduced the severity of intestinal lesion score using a NE challenge model (Exp 2), suggesting that the antibacterial properties against C. perfringens by HB can promote growth during microbial challenges.

进行了两项独立的试验，以评估使用1）未定义挑战或2）肠道病变评分的坏死性肠炎（NE）挑战模型对Herbanoplex CP（HB）对肉鸡性能的影响。Herbanoplex CP是植物化合物（啤酒花，小麦胚芽和菊苣）的独特组合。在实验1中，分别对400日龄的雄性雏鸡（Cobb 500）进行标记，称重，并随机分配给20只钢笔之一（n = 20只禽/笔）。每个处理组随机分配笔：4种处理，每组5个重复（n = 100只禽/处理）。T1：无修改；T2：抗生素生长促进剂杆菌肽亚甲基二水杨酸酯（BMD））0.5公斤/公吨时为11％）; T3：HB 1公斤/公吨；T4：HB为0.5千克/公吨。在生命的第7、14、15天，所有治疗组中的所有鸟类都受到饮用水的攻击，并带有升滤出液作为未定义的攻击模型。在第35天评估了他们的表现。与其余的实验组相比，T3的体重增加（BWG）明显增加（P值<0.05），FCR明显减少。有趣的是，与T4中的鸡相比，T2中的鸡表现出相似的BWG和FCR。在实验2中，将100天大的雄性肉鸡雏鸡分为5组，并分配在隔离笼中。T1：鸟不产气荚膜梭菌（CP） 挑战; T2：有CP挑战的鸟；T3：CP挑战加1千克/公吨的HB的家禽；T4：CP挑战加HB的家禽重量为0.75公斤/公吨，T5：CP挑战加HB的家禽重量为0.5公斤/公吨。在第13天，所有鸡都接种了10x球菌卵囊。在第14天，用10倍剂量的传染性法氏囊病疫苗治疗所有鸡。从第15天到第19天，每天两次挑战组（T2，T3，T4和T5）的鸡口服10 ⁸  cfu产气荚膜梭菌。在第21天，对所有鸡实施安乐死，并记录NE肠病变评分。与其余组相比，暴露于NE挑战模型的T3和T4鸡的病变得分显着降低。此外，体外最低抑菌浓度（MIC）分析显示，HB对产气荚膜梭菌的MIC最低，分别为24 h（390μg/ mL）和48 h（625μg/ mL）。在促进生长性能的非特异性挑战模型中，Herbanoplex CP对BMD表现出相似的反应（实验1）。此外，使用NE激发模型（实验2），HB降低了肠道病变评分的严重性，这表明HB对产气荚膜梭菌的抗菌特性可以促进微生物激发过程中的生长。