CAN Technologies, Inc.

Protocol
Effect of Levucell and Bactocell performance of broiler
chickens challenged with necrotic enteritis
-Saccharomyces cereviseae (Levucell improved growth performance almost significantly in
chickens challenged with necrotic enteritis. Pediococcus acidilactici (Bactocell) did not
improve performance or onset of lesions in chickens challenged with necrotic enteritis.
Three hundred and fifteen 1-d-old Ross 308 male broiler chickens were randomly
assigned to 5 dietary treatments, including an unchallenged positive control, a challenged
negative control without antibiotic, and a challenged positive control with virginiamycin (Vm).
Levucell and Bactocell were included in two separate treatments at 0.01% (100 g/ton). All
treatments, except the unchallenged positive control, were challenged with necrotic enteritis
(NE). Treatments contained 9 replications of 7 birds each. All birds received a common basal
diet based on corn-soybean meal and containing rye, fishmeal, and wheat midds. The diet was
then supplemented with the test products described in Table 1, which were added at the
expense of corn. On d 8, all birds except the unchallenged control, received a coccidia vaccine
(Cocci-vac) via feed. On d 12, 13, 14, and 15, all birds, except the unchallenged positive
control group, received a Clostridium perfringens inoculum via feed. On d 14 and 15, a group of
challenged birds was euthanized to expose their digestive tract and evaluate the degree of
challenge that the birds had been exposed. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake, and gain to
feed ratio (GF) were calculated at 7, 12, and 20 d of age. Lesion score was obtained from
selected treatments.
Statistical analysis
Growth performance data was analyzed through ANOVA using the GLM procedure of SAS.
When considered appropriate, individual treatments were compared using orthogonal contrasts,
for which the P-value is reported.

Page 1 of 1

Table 1. Treatment description

Trt

1
2
3
4
5

Description
Unchallenged Control
Challenged Control
As 2 + Virginiamycin
As 2 + Levucell
As 2 + Bactocell

Table 2. Additive Inclusion level and Active Component

Additive
Levucell
Bactocell

Inclusion Level
0.01%
0.01%

Active Component
Saccharomyces cereviseae
Pediococcus acidilactici

Active Component
Inclusion Level
8
1 x 10 CFU/g
2 E+6 CFU/g

Primary MOA
Probiotic
Probiotic

Table 3: Dietary Formulation

Ingredients
Corn - Fine Ground
Wheat Midds By-Product 27-34% NDF
Soybean Meal - 48% Protein
SALT
CALCIUM CARBONATE
Oil - Corn
Phosphate - Mono Dicalcium
CHOLINE CHLORIDE-60
DL METHIONINE - DRY
L-LYSINE HCL
Fish Meal - HQ Menhaden
Vitamin Premix
POULTRY TRACE MINERAL
Rye
TOTAL

Inclusion, %
45.77
0.998
29.360
0.287
0.607
4.398
0.141
0.049
0.179
0.033
10.000
0.119
0.060
7.999
100.000

Page 2 of 2

Results
-Birds receiving Levucell showed a trend indicating improvement in body weight at 20 d
growth performance with respect to birds from the negative control. No significant differences
were observed in body weight gain or gain to feed ratio.
-Birds receiving Bactocell did not show a significant improvement in live weight, body weight
gain, or gain to feed ratio.

Page 3 of 3

Table 4. Live weight (g/bird) and weight gain (g/bird) of broiler chickens challenged with necrotic
enteritis and fed different direct-fed microbials
Trt

1
2
3
4
5

Unchall Ctrl
Chall Ctrl
Virginiamycin
Levucell
Bactocell
SEM
CV
GLM P-values
Orthogonal contrasts

Live weight, g/bird

0d
8d
12 d
20 d
c
c
43.39 163.82 344.56 775.46
ab
b
43.80 172.14 358.63 807.63
abc
a
43.83 172.49
362.22 852.10
a
a
43.33 173.73 363.88 831.59
bc
b
43.20 168.52 352.78 813.69
7.51
0.74
3.39
10.06
5.59
4.17
4.74
2.86
0.9870 0.5470 0.4220 0.0090

Weight gain, g/bird

8-12 d 12-20 d

0-8 d
c

121.74
ab
131.40
abc
123.13
a
130.50
bc
126.17
3.40
6.46
0.2140

0.0800
Trt 3 vs Trt 2
-0.9270 0.3020 0.0070
Trt 4 vs Trt 2
-0.7560 0.8620 0.0610
0.8520
0.2830
Trt 5 vs Trt 2
-0.6390 0.3270 0.2130
a-e
Means with different superscript differ significantly (P < 0.05).

ab

0-20 d
c

184.04
ab
184.10
195.07a
ab
184.22
b
175.68
5.82
7.62
0.2540

425.97
bc
440.06
a
483.45
ab
462.45
bc
455.22
13.33
7.13
0.0780

733.07
b
764.21
a
805.19
ab
778.59
bc
769.07
14.58
4.31
0.063

0.1800
0.9880
0.2840

0.0300
0.2440
0.3980

0.0590
0.4760
0.8090

Table 5. Feed intake (g/bird) and gain to feed ratio (g:kg) of broiler chickens challenged with
necrotic enteritis and fed different direct-fed microbials
Trt

1
2
3
4
5

Unchall Ctrl
Chall Ctrl
Virginiamycin
Levucell
Bactocell
SEM
CV
GLM P-values
Orthogonal contrasts

0-8 d
151.87
161.37
159.90
166.98
158.35
5.46
8.45
0.5410

Feed intake, g/bird

8-12 d 12-20 d
b
240.58 596.74
a
314.00 551.25
a
338.44 596.02
a
308.96 615.81
a
319.54 579.84
14.84 24.89
11.15
9.75
0.0040 0.3930

0-20 d
998.17
1025.33
1044.48
1091.14
1058.9
21.516
4.876
0.0670

0.8430
0.2490 0.2110 0.5220
Trt 3 vs Trt 2
0.4790
0.8010 0.0680 0.0380
Trt 4 vs Trt 2
0.6830
0.7840 0.4030 0.2690
Trt 5 vs Trt 2
a-d
Means with different superscript differ significantly (P < 0.05).

Gain to feed ratio, g:kg

0-8 d
8-12 d 12-20 d 0-20 d
a
808.70 776.69 717.55 741.12
b
816.50 581.72 795.26 734.66
b
770.47 568.23 751.60 706.06
b
784.51 606.39 758.91 733.08
b
800.71 586.63 796.75 726.13
22.68
33.54 22.68
21.52
6.85
12.28
6.99
4.88
0.6000 0.0020 0.0880 0.0670
0.1390
0.3240
0.6230

0.7750 0.1640
0.5860 0.2550
0.9140 0.9620

0.1590
0.9390
0.6570

Page 4 of 4

Figure 1. Weight gain (g/bird) and gain to feed ratio (g:kg) from 12 to 20 d of age of broiler birds
receiving different direct-fed microbials from 0 to 20 d of age

Weight gain (12-20 d) of broilers challenged with

necrotic enteritis
500.0

483.5

480.0

462.5

g/bird

460.0
440.0

455.2

440.1
426.0

420.0
400.0
380.0
Unchall Ctrl

Chall Ctrl

Vm

Levucell

Bactocell

Figure 2. Weight gain (g/bird) and gain to feed ratio (g:kg) from 0 to 20 d of age of broiler birds
receiving different direct-fed microbials from 0 to 20 d of age.

Weight gain (0-20 d) of broilers challenged with

necrotic enteritis
820.0

805.2

800.0

778.6

g/bird

780.0

764.2

769.1

760.0
740.0

733.1

720.0
700.0
680.0
Unchall Ctrl

Chall Ctrl

Vm

Levucell

Bactocell

Page 5 of 5

Figure 3. Gain to feed ratio (g:kg) from 0 to 20 d of age of broiler birds receiving different directfed microbials from 0 to 20 d of age

Gain to feed (0-20 d) of broilers challenged with

necrotic enteritis
750

741.12
734.66

g:kg

740
730

733.08
726.13

720
706.06

710
700
690
680
Unchall Ctrl

Chall Ctrl

Vm

Levucell

Bactocell

Page 6 of 6

Table 8. Lesion score mean values for selected treatments

Lesion Score
d
Unchallenged + Ctrl
0.29
c
Challenged Ctrl
1.25
a
Vm
1.88
bc
Levucell
1.35
ab
Bactocell
1.73
SEM
0.128
CV
23.217
GLM P-values
0.0000
a-d
Means with different superscript differ significantly (P < 0.05).

Page 7 of 7