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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Transformation of Probiotic Yeast and Their Recovery from Gastrointestinal Immune Tissues Following Oral Gavage in Mice
Published on: February 8, 2016
Effects of liquid yeast cell wall on growth performance, intestinal development, immunity, and cecal Salmonella
1Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, USA; 30602; Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, Auburn, USA; 36849.
Abstract:
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of liquid yeast cell wall (YCW) supplementation in water on growth performance, intestinal development, immunity, and cecal microbiota in broilers. A total of 360 Cobb 500 male broilers were randomly allocated to three treatments with 6 replicates of 20 birds each. Experimental water treatments consisted of 1) a control (CON) group supplied with municipal water; 2) a liquid yeast cell wall (YCW1) supplemented group during d 0-14 and d 39-42 at 2.5 mL/L; 3) a liquid yeast cell wall (YCW2) supplemented group during d 0-14 and d 39-42 at 5 mL/L. All data were subjected to the one-way ANOVA using the GLM procedure of SAS. Means were further separated using Tukey's HSD test. A significant difference was considered at P ≤ 0.05. Liquid YCW supplementation linearly improved FCR during the d7-14 of age. A quadratic effect on BWG peaks at 2.5 mL/L inclusion rate was found during the d14-21 period. Growth performance was not affected by liquid YCW during 42 d grow-out period. Liquid YCW supplementation linearly increased duodenal villus height (P = 0.014) at d14. Meanwhile, broilers of YCW2 group had a lower villus height: crypt depth ratio (P = 0.037). Supplementation of liquid YCW linearly upregulated the proinflammatory cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and downregulated anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in ceca tonsil compared to the control (P < 0.05). At d 42, YCW2 had a lower Salmonella population in ceca compared to the other treatments (P = 0.021). Additionally, supplementation of liquid YCW increased Lactobacillus population in the ceca compared to the control group (P < 0.01). In conclusion, liquid YCW supplementation positively affected early age growth performance by improving intestinal development. Late-phase supplementation of YCW reduced Salmonella population in the ceca, suggesting YCW as a potential intervention to reduce pre-harvest Salmonella load.

