Effect of Dietary Xylitol on Growth Performance and Nitrogen Retention in Male Broiler Chicks during Immunological Stimulation

The effect of dietary xylitol on growth performance and nitrogen retention was studied in male broiler chicks during immunological stimulation. In experiment 1, chicks (10 day of age) were fed a corn-soybean diet containing 10% glucose or 10% xylitol with identical metabolizable energy and crude protein for 14 days. In experiment 2, ten-day-old chicks were fed 10% glucose or 6% xylitol diet for 8 days. During the final 6 days of the experimental periods, a half of birds fed each diet were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0127:B8) on days 1, 3 and 5, and with 250 mg/kg body weight of Sephadex-G50 superfine on days 2 and 4 to stimulate immune system in both experiments. Feeding of the xylitol diets partially prevented the reduction in body weight gain or feed efficiency due to LPS and Sephadex injections, but the glucose diet did not in both the experiments. LPS and Sephadex injections decreased nitrogen retention, whereas the diet containing xylitol partly in experiment 1 and almost completely in experiment 2, prevented the reduction due to immunological stimulation. These results indicate that dietary xylitol probably prevents the reduction in nitrogen retention with growth retardation due to LPS and Sephadex injection. The beneficial effect on nitrogen retention is obtained when chicks are given xylitol 2 days before stimulating the immune system.