ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Avian Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1646143
Influence of a multi-strain probiotic and zinc-glycine chelate, administered in ovo, on immune response in newly hatched chicks
Provisionally accepted
Artur Ciszewski1
Łukasz Jarosz1*Zbigniew Grądzki1Agnieszka Marek1Beata Kaczmarek1Marcin Hejdysz2Anna Rysiak3- 1University of Life Sciences of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
- 2Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Poznaniu, Poznań, Poland
- 3Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Sklodowskiej, Lublin, Poland
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The supplementation of chicken embryos with bioactive compounds may elicit a beneficial effect on the development of their gut microbiome and enhance protection against infectious agents after hatching. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of in ovo co-supplementation with a multi-strain probiotic and zinc-glycine chelate on the levels of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines, acute phase proteins, and immunoglobulins in the peripheral blood and tissues of broiler chickens on the day of hatching and seven days post hatching. The effect of supplementation on the growth parameters of chickens was assessed as well. The study was conducted on 1,500 hatching eggs from a broiler breeding flock (Ross x Ross 308) at 36 weeks. ELISA kits were used to determine levels of acute phase proteins and immunoglobulins. Expression of immunoglobulins was determined by means of qRT-PCR. The results obtained indicate enhanced synthesis of acute phase proteins in the liver and increased levels of serum amyloid A in the small intestine tissue, as well as IgA and IgM mRNA and suppressed synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α. During the cumulative experimental period (days 0–42), the mean body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) in the group supplemented with a multi-strain probiotic were statistically significantly lower compared to the control group. It may be concluded that the combined in ovo use of a multi-strain probiotic and Zn-Gly chelate modulates the immune response, helps maintain the balance between the synthesis of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, inhibits inflammatory processes, and stimulates immune system development.
Keywords: in ovo, Chelated zinc, Multi-strain Probiotic, Cytokines, Acute phaseproteins, Immunoglobulins
Received: 12 Jun 2025; Accepted: 21 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ciszewski, Jarosz, Grądzki, Marek, Kaczmarek, Hejdysz and Rysiak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Łukasz Jarosz, University of Life Sciences of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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