BMD-SOLUBLE & BACITOWERVET
Ashraf El-Komy & Mohamed Aboubakr
1 Professor and Head of Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha
University, Egypt.
2 Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University,
Egypt.
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of bacitracin (BMD®
Soluble and Bacitowervet®) in controlling the adverse effects of
experimentally induced Clostridium perfringens in broiler chickens.
Two hundred, one-day old broiler chicken chicks were used and
randomly allocated into three experimental groups; group (1)
uninfected-untreated, group (2) infected-untreated, group (3) infected-
treated with bacitracin (BMD® Soluble) in the drinking water and
group (4) infected-treated with bacitracin (Bacitowervet®) in the
drinking water. The drug was given at dose level of 10 mg
bacitracin/kg b.wt/day for 5 consecutive days. The birds were
challenged via oral gavages with a toxigenic strain of Clostridium Perfringens type A by
inoculation of 1 ml of 6×108 cfu daily, for 3 consecutive days (19th, 20th, 21st days of age).
Clinical signs, mortalities, mean lesion scores, performance including body weight and feed
conversion efficiency were recorded and evaluated. The Results showed that infected-
bacitracin treated chickens had less pronounced clinical signs, significant lower mortalities,
higher body weight and better feed conversion than infected-untreated birds. In conclusion,
bacitracin administration (BMD® Soluble and Bacitowervet®) at 10 mg bacitracin/kg b.wt
/day for 5 consecutive days is efficacious for the treatment of Clostridium Perfringens
infection in broiler chickens evident by improvement of all investigated parameters,
and there was no significant changes between BMD® Soluble and Bacitowervet® and both products can be used as interchangeable drug in veterinary medicine practice especially in
poultry.
INTRODUCTION
Gastrointestinal tract of poultry acts as a reservoir for maintenance of pathogens capable of inducing diseases (Barbara et al., 2008). Clostridium perfringensis found in gastrointestinal tract of birds where it is considered a part of normal bacterial flora (Van Immerseel et al., 2004). It's etiological agent of a wide range of diseases in humans and animals (Engström et al., 2003). It is an anaerobic rod shape, spore forming G +ve bacilli (Attia et al., 2013), causing necrotic enteritis in poultry (Petit et al., 1999). Necrotic enteritis is infectious diseases in broiler farms (Immerseel, 2004). It's one of most economically important enteric diseases in broilers with mortality rates up to 50% (Mc Devit et al., 2006). It's characterized by sudden onset of diarrhea and mucosal necrosis (Skinner et al., 2010). For many years, prophylactic use of antibiotic in feed has been primary means of controlling necrotic enteritis in broiler industry. However development of Clostridium perfringens strain resistance antibiotic has threatened economic stability of broiler industry (Baumgartner, 2003). Antimicrobial therapy is an important tool in reducing enormous losses in poultry industry caused by bacterial infection (Gadzinski and Julian, 1992). Necrotic enteritis can be prevented by use antibiotics (Brennan et al., 2001). Bacitracin is an antibiotic produced by Bacillus licheniformis bacteria in 1945 (Hofacre et al., 1998). Bacitracin is a widely used metallopeptide antibiotic produced by Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis with a potent bactericidal activity directed primarily against Gram- positive organisms (Russell et al., 1988). Bacitracin is a bactericidal peptide antibiotic which inhibits cell wall synthesis and has additional effects on bacterial membranes (Butaye et al., 2003). Bacitracin is a polypeptide product of Bacillus subtilis that inhibits the formation of bacteria cell-wall peptidoglycan by complexing directly with the pyrophosphate carrier & inhibiting the dephosphoylation reaction required for its regeneration. It is bactericidal to Gram +ve bacteria but has little activity against Gram –ve organisms. The main antibacterial activity of this antibiotic is due to the bacitracin A component. The speed of bactericidal action being directly proportional to its concentration &, therefore, to its dose (Butaye et al., 2003).
Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of bacitracin
(BMD® Soluble and Bacitowervet®) in the treatment of clostridial infection in broiler
chickens after oral administration of 10 mg bacitracin/kg b.wt/day daily for 5 consecutive
days in drinking water.
MATERIALS AND METHODS - Drugs
BMD® Soluble: It is a water soluble powder product administered via drinking water. It was manufactured by Zoetis Company, USA. Each 1 gm contains bacitracin methylene disalicylate 534.73 mg (eq. to 440.52 mg Bacitracin base). Bacitowervet®: It is a water soluble powder product administered via drinking water. It was manufactured by Boston Company, Egypt. Each 1 gm contains bacitracin methylene disalicylate 534.73 mg (eq. to 440.52 mg Bacitracin base). 2.2. Experimental chicks A total of two hundred clinically healthy one-day old Hubbard broiler chicken chicks of both sexes obtained from commercial hatchery were used in the present study. Chicks were individually identified with leg band rings and kept under complete observation in separate thoroughly cleaned and disinfected pens. Feed and water were provided ad-libitum for the entire experimental period. A commercial unmediated broiler ration that formulated to meet NRC recommendation (NRC 1994) was used. All chicks were vaccinated against Newcastle disease (ND) using Hitchner B1 and Lasota vaccines and against infectious bursal disease (IBD) using 228E vaccine at 5, 12 and 19 days of age; respectively via eye-drop instillation according to a standard vaccination program implementation on local broiler chickens farms. 2.3. Experimental infection Clostridium perferinges type A was obtained from Animal Health Research Institute. Dokki, Giza, Egypt. Five groups were infected with Clostridium perferinges at 19th days old; the birds were challenged via oral gavages with a toxigenic strain of Clostridium Perfringens type A by inoculation of 1ml of 6x108cfu daily, for 3 consecutive days (19th, 20th, 21st days of age). The treatments have occurred from 23rd to 27th days of age (Botlhoko, 2009). 2.4. Experimental design Two hundred, one-day old broiler chicken chicks were randomly allocated into four groups,
Experimental chicks
A total of two hundred clinically healthy one-day old Hubbard broiler chicks of both sexes
obtained from commercial hatchery were used in the present study. At arrival and before
experiment, the chicks were tested to be free from E.coli by bacteriological culture of liver,
heart, blood, spleen and yolk sac of ten randomly selected chicks and they prove negative
isolation for E.coli. Chicks were individually identified with leg band rings and kept under
complete observation in separate thoroughly cleaned and disinfected pens. Feed and water
were provided ad-libitum for the entire experimental period. A commercial unmediated
broiler ration that formulated to meet NRC recommendation (NRC 1994) was used. All
chicks were vaccinated against Newcastle disease (ND) using Hitchner B1 and Lasota
vaccines and against infectious bursal disease (IBD) using 228E vaccine at 5, 12 and 19 days
of age; respectively via eye-drop instillation according to a standard vaccination program
implementation on local broiler farms.
each consists of 50 chicks. The experimental groups were divided into; uninfected- untreated
(group 1), infected-untreated (group 2), infected and treated with bacitracin (BMD®
Soluble) in the drinking water (Group 3) and infected and treated with bacitracin
(Bacitowervet®) in the drinking water. The drug was given at dose level of 10 mg
bacitracin/kg b.wt/day for 5 consecutive days.
2.4. Clinical signs and mortalities
All chicks were clinically inspected or observed each day for any health-related problems.
The clinical signs were monitored and recorded daily for fifteen days following experimental
infection. In every group, all mortalities were recorded daily and the dead birds were
necropsied.
2.5. Score of lesions in infected chickens
Intestinal lesions were graded as follows: no gross lesions; thin-walled or friable small
intestine; mild necrosis or ulceration; moderate patches of necrosis; severe, extensive necrosis
as in typical field cases (Hepler, 1949).
2.6. Growth performance parameters evaluatio n
Relative growth rate
Relative growth Rate (RGR) was calculated according to the following equation:
(Tawfik, 1991)
Relative growth Rate (RGR) = 100 x W2 -W1 (weight gain)
W2+W1 /2
Where W1 = Mean initial weight of birds in each group just before infection.
W2 = Mean final weight at the end of the experiment.
2.7. Statistical analysis
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Duncan’s multiple range test for variables was
computed for different parameters. Differences between group means were considered
significant at P < 0.05 (Duncan, 1955).
3. RESULTS
The effect of bacitracin (BMD® Soluble and Bacitowervet®) on the performance parameters
including body weight gain (BWG) and the relative growth rate (RGR) in infected and treated
chickens was recorded in table (1). Significant reduction in (BWG) and (RGR) was recorded in the infected non treated control positive chickens as compared with non-infected non
treated control negative birds. Treated group showed significant increase in (BW),
improvement in (BWG) and (RGR) and reduced mortalities than infected non treated group.