Subject: Veterinarski arhiv 69 1
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VETERINARSKI ARHIV 69 (1),
39-47, 1999

ISSN 1331-8055 Online
ISSN
0372-5480 Printed in Croatia

Effect of salinomycin on broiler
health

Farzana Rizvi* and Ahmed Din Anjum

Department of Veterinary
Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences,
University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad, Pakistan

* Contact address:
Dr. Farzana
Rizvi,
Lecturer, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan,
Phone: 92 41 25 91,

E-mail: [email-masked]

RIZVI, F., A. D. ANJUM: Effect of
salinomycin on broiler health. Vet. arhiv 69, 39-47, 1999.

ABSTRACT

Broilers (N=20 in each of 4 groups)
kept under standard management conditions, were given various doses of
salinomycin over a period of 8 weeks. They showed no clinical signs throughout
the study. Those receiving 60 ppm, 120 ppm or 180 ppm salinomycin had
significantly lesser body mass (P<0.001) than the control group. There was a
significant negative correlation between dose of salinomycin and mass gain in
broilers (r=-0.845, P<0.05). Cumulative feed conversion ratio (CFR) during
this period was 2.21 in the control group compared with 3.251, 3.859 and 4.161
in broilers, respectively, receiving 60 ppm, 120 ppm and 180 ppm salinomycin in
feed. There was a positive correlation between FCR and the dose of salinomycin
(r=0.973, P<0.001). Organ index of liver, proventriculus, intestines and
caeca in salinomycin at 60 ppm and 120 ppm had a non-significant influence on
gizzard, kidneys and heart, but at 180 ppm there were significantly reduced
gizzard and kidney indices compared with the control (P<0.001). On the other
hand, heart index was significantly higher in 180 ppm fed broilers compared with
the control (P<0.001). Grossly and histologically visceral organs of broilers
receiving various doses of salinomycin appeared normal.

Key words: salinomycin,
broilers, health, feed conversion, body mass gain

Introduction

Coccidiosis has remained a common
problem in poultry (HAYAT and HAYAT, 1983; SIDDIQUE et al., 1987; ANJUM, 1990;
MUNEER, 1997) although preventive medication is widely used for the management
of coccidiosis. Feed manufacturing companies do not declare type and quantity of
anticoccidial used. In the event of an outbreak, poultry farmers treat
coccidiosis using anticoccidial drugs such as sulfa and amprolium in drinking
water and also some anticoccidial feed premix. The medication may continue for
3-4 weeks. In this way, there is a likelihood of over-medication with
anticoccidial drugs.

The most commonly used anticoccidial in
feed in Pakistan is salinomycin (HAYAT et al., 1996). It acts by transporting
alkali metal ions which results in altered ionic gradients and disturbed
physiological processes in coccidia (KINASHI et al., 1973; PRESSMAN, 1973, 1976;
REED and LARDY, 1972). Their toxicity at a high dietary level probably relates
to disturbance of the metabolism of ions within the tissues of the host animals.
In chicks not subject to coccidial infection, this drug may depress growth when
given from 80 to 160 ppm in feed (MIGAKI and BABCOCK, 1979; MORRISON et al.,
1979; YVORE et al., 1980).

Bearing in mind the extensive use of
salinomycin in poultry, as well as the probability of prolonged overmedication,
this project was designed to investigate the effects of salinomycin on the
health of broilers.

Materials and methods

The effect of salinomycin was studied
experimentally on health of broilers.

Eighty day-old broiler chicks were
divided into four equal groups. The chicks in all groups were fed commercial
broiler starter mash up to 4 weeks and broiler finisher ration thereafter.
Chicks in group A served as control, chicks in groups B, C and D were given
coxistac in feed, respectively, at 60 ppm (the recommended preventive dose) 120
ppm and 180 ppm concentrations.

Live body mass and feed consumption was
recorded weekly. Cumulative feed intake and feed conversion ratio was calculated
at 8 weeks post-treatment. Ten birds were slaughtered at 8 weeks of age for
ascertaining any effect of the drug on internal organs of the body. Since organ
weight is directly related to body weight, organ index, i.e., per cent mass of
the organ to body mass, was calculated to create uniformity and avoid the
influence of variation in body weight. Organ index was calculated as follows.

Organ index=SOrgan mass (g)/Live body mass (g)C×100

Clinical signs were observed regularly
during the experiment and faecal examination was done for the presence of
coccidial oocysts. Gross lesions were recorded at post-mortem on each
slaughtering. Samples of the organs, normal or morbid, were taken from each
necropsied bird for histopathology. Tissue samples were fixed in 10 per cent
buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin and sectioned at 5-6 µm thick and
stained with haematoxylin and eosine stains following procedures described by
ANJUM (1980).

Results

Clinical signs

No clinical sign was observed in
broilers receiving various doses of salinomycin in feed.

Faecal examination for coccidial
oocysts

Faecal examination remained negative
for coccidial oocysts throughout the study.

Live body mass

Table 1 shows that salinomycin
significantly depressed the live body mass of broilers. Broilers receiving 60
ppm, 120 ppm and 180 ppm of salinomycin had a significantly lesser body mass
than the control group (P<0.001), respectively, from the 8th,
6th and 4th week post-treatment.

Table 1. Effect of salinomycin on
live body mass (g) of experimental broilers

Age (weeks)

Control

Doses of salinomycin (ppm)

60

120

180

48 hours

71.10±3.64

71.80±2.08

71.20±3.94

62.10±3.69

1

130.90±7.85

141.20±7.06

160.00±7.62

129.80±7.38

2

371.60±12.58

426.90±12.31

326.30±13.45

295.60±15.54

3

534.70±23.64

527.80±19.00

505.20±10.59

434.90±25.35

4

850.00±34.76

870.00±25.22

817.50±42.50

680.00a±38.87

5

923.00±58.27

947.00±52.26

803.00±36.89

770.00a±52.28

6

1162.00±69.75

1065.00±70.34

1010.00a±49.33

719.00a±55.13

7

1570.00±80.69

1460.00±75.57

1395.00a±82.82

895.00a±68.90

8

1995.00±40.45

1770.00a±54.36

1845.00a±62.12

1010.00a±61.37

Each figure represents mean±SEM of 10
chicks. Data subjected to analysis of variance revealed significant differenc
between treatments.

a-P<0.001 compared with
the control group

Body mass gain in broilers receiving 60
ppm, 120 ppm and 180 ppm of salinomycin, respectively, was 88.27%, 92.2% and
49.3% of the control group. There was a significant negative correlation between
the dose of salinomycin and body mass gain in broilers (r=-0.845, P<0.05).

Feed intake and feed conversion
ratio

Table 2 shows that cumulative feed
intake at 8 weeks of study was 4408.9 g in the control group compared with
5754.3 g, 7119 g and 4202 g in broilers given, respectively, 60 ppm, 120 ppm and
180 ppm of salinomycin in feed.

Table 2. Effect of salinomycin on
cumulative feed intake and cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) of
experimental broilers at 8 weeks post-treatment

Control

Doses of salinomycin (ppm)

60

120

180

Feed intake (g)

4408

5754

7119

4202

FCR (kg/kg)

2.21

3.251

3.859

4.161

Cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR)
during this period was 2.21 in the control group compared with 3.251, 3.859 and
4.161 in broilers, respectively, receiving 60 ppm, 120 ppm and 180 ppm of
salinomycin in feed. There was a positive correlation between FCR and the dose
of salinomicyn (r=0.973, P<0.001).

Mass of internal organs

Organ indices are shown in Table 3. The
difference in mass of liver, proventriculus, intestines and between the control
and salinomycin treated birds was non-significant at all doses. Salinomicyn at
60 ppm and 120 ppm had a non-significant influence on gizzard, kidneys and
heart, but at 180 ppm salinomycin significantly reduced gizzard and kidney
indices compared with the control (P<0.001). On the other hand, heart index
was significantly higher in 180 ppm fed broilers compared with the control
(P<0.001).

Table 3. Effect of salinomycin on
organ indices of experimental broilers at 8 weeks post-treatment

Organs

Control

Doses of salinomycin (ppm)

60

120

180

Liver

2.49±0.12

2.02±0.15

2.15±0.09

2.49±0.12

Gizzard

2.49±0.09

2.44±0.11

2.50±0.19

1.77a±0.08

Proventriculus

0.39±0.03

0.42±0.02

0.45±0.04

0.43±0.05

Intestines

2.78±0.06

3.03±0.16

3.05±0.03

2.96±0.14

Caeca

0.49±0.03

0.48±0.03

0.45±0.01

0.52±0.04

Kidneys

0.71±0.03

0.76±0.04

0.67±0.03

0.56a±0.07

Heart

0.41±0.04

0.43±0.02

0.42±0.02

0.65a±0.05

Each figure represents mean±SEM of 10
chicks. Data subjected to analysis of variance revealed significant differenc
between treatments.

a-P<0.001 compared with
the control group

Gross and histopathological lesions

Grossly and histologically visceral
organs of broilers receiving various doses of salinomycin appeared normal
throughout the study.

Discussion

Salinomycin is an inophore antibiotic
(KINASHI et al., 1973), used extensively in the prevention of coccidiosis in
poultry. Clinically, no signs of any nature were seen in broilers receiving 60
ppm, 120 ppm or 180 ppm of salinomycin in feed. DANFORTH et al. (1977a,b),
MORRISON et al. (1979) and YVORE et al. (1980) also found that salinomycin was
safe from 80 to 100 ppm. In turkeys, as little as 20-30 ppm salinomycin in feed
caused difficult and uncoordinated movements and paralysis of leg and neck
muscles, dyspnoe, diarrhoea and 13-65% mortality (GITHKOPOULOS and LEKKAS, 1990;
POLNER and SALVI, 1994). This reflects a better tolerance of salinomicyn in
chickens than in turkeys, which could be a species variation.

Salinomycin at 60 ppm reduced body mass
significantly from 8th week post-treatment (Table 1, P<0.001). This indicates
that the prolonged use of salinomycin, even at the recommended dose for
prophylaxis of coccidiosis, suppresses growth. This is in agreement with the
findings of GARD et al. (1975), HARMS and BURESH (1987), MAZURKIEWIEZ et al.
(1989) and PROHASZKA and ROZSNYAI (1990). On the contrary, MIGAKI and BABCOCK
(1979) observed a mass gain better than the control at 50 and 60 ppm of
salinomycin in broilers. Still other workers (KESHAVARZ and McDOUGALD, 1982;
PERASON et al., 1990; STEINRUCK et al., 1992) observed that 40-80 ppm
Salinomicyn had no effect on body mass in broilers.

One of the factors responsible for
variable reports on growth depression induced by therapeutic dose of salinomycin
could be the involvement of the incompatibility of feed ingredients with the
drug. As observed by PROHASZKA et al. (1987), the growth-depressing effect of
salinomycin was increased when given in diet with a high saprophyte count.
Bacterial count is usually very high under local conditions due to the use of
fishmeal, poultry offal and feather meal, blood meal and bone meal, etc.
PROHASZKA et al. (1987) explained that saprophytic bacteria, during excessive
multiplication in poultry feed, release metabolites of increased bacterial
activity which enhance the toxicity of salinomycin and monensin.

Salinomycin at higher doses
significantly decreased the body mass of broilers in the present study (Table 1,
P<0.001). The inverse correlation between dose of salinomycin and body mass
gain in broilers (r=-0.845, P<0.05) further suggests that growth suppression
was dose-dependent. Growth depression observed at higher doses (i.e., 120 ppm
and 180 ppm) of salinomycin in broilers in the present study is unequivocal
confirmation of many previous studies (MORRISON et al., 1979; MIKAGI and
BABCOCK, 1979; YVORE et al., 1980; KESHAVARZ and McDOUGALD, 1982; KIRILLOV,
1985; DONEV et al., 1988; PERASON et al., 1990; STEINRUCK et al., 1992).

In the present study, feed intake was
less in salinomycin-treated broiler chicks than in the control. This was also
accompanied by a poor feed conversion ratio. There was a significant positive
correlation between feed conversion ratio and dose of salinomycin, which shows
the dose-related effect of salinomycin. The decrease in feed intake observed in
the present study is in line with the findings of some other workers, who
observed reduced feed consumption and poor feed conversion ratios with
therapeutic doses of salinomycin (PAULILLO et al., 1986) as well as with higher
doses of salinomycin (KESHAVARZ and McDOUGALD, 1982) in broilers.

HARMS et al. (1989) reported that
appetite and decreased feed intake were a major factor in decreased performance
in broilers by increasing the dose of salinomycin from 44 mg/kg feed to 88 mg/kg
feed in broilers. MAZURKIEWIEZ et al. (1989) reported decreased feed consumption
(50%) by giving salinomycin at a dose rate of 57 to 89 ppm in turkeys. However,
STEINRUCK et al. (1992) reported that 40 or 80 mg/kg salinomycina had no effect
on feed intake of broilers by 42 days, although during the third week feed
intake was depressed at higher drug concentration. DONEV et al. (1988) also
reported that salinomycin 60 and 100 g/1000 kg feed had no adverse effect on
appetite, behaviour and properties of meat. The decrease in appetite and feed
intake seem to be a reversible phenomenon. According to CHAPMAN et al. (1993)
feed intake was decreased with salinomycin, but following withdrawal of
salinomycin it was greater than when birds were receiving the drug.

Mass of internal organs including
proventriculus, intestine and caeca was not affected significantly in broilers
receiving various doses of salinomycin. This indicates that salinomycin had no
apparent effect on these organs up to 180 ppm in feed. This is in agreement with
DONEV et al. (1988) who also observed that salinomycin given at a dose rate of
60 to 100 g/1000 kg of feed had no adverse effect on organ weight of broiler
chicks. Mass of gizzard and kidney was reduced, whereas heart mass was
significantly increased compared with the control at 180 ppm salinomycin (Table
3, P<0.001).

Salinomycin did not affect the gross
and histological appearance of internal organs in broilers in the present study.
However, some previous workers observed degeneration, oedema and infiltration of
lymphocytes in liver of broilers at 200 ppm salinomycin (SHEHATA et al., 1990)
and congestion and degeneration in liver and congestion, hydropic degeneration
of tubular epithelium and degeneration of Bowman's capsule epithelium in kidneys
in turkeys given 30 ppm salinomycin (GITHKOPOULOS and LEKKAS, 1990).

In conclusion, salinomycin at the
recommended dose of 60 ppm, as well as at higher doses, i. e., 120 ppm and 180
ppm, decreased body mass due to poor feed conversion. Higher doses of
salinomycin also altered the mass of some visceral organs, which could influence
the performance of broilers.

References

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Received: 19 October 1998
Accepted:
9 February 1999

RIZVI, F., A. D. ANJUM: Utjecaj
salinomicina na zdravlje peradi. Vet. arhiv 69, 39-47, 1999.

SAZETAK

Brojlerima (po 20 u 4 skupine) drzanim
u standardnim uvjetima uzgoja davane su razlicite doze salinomicina tijekom 8
tjedana. Nisu pokazivali nikakve klinicke znakove bolesti tijekom pokusa. Oni
koji su dobivali 60 ppm, 120 ppm ili 180 ppm salinomicina imali su znacajno
manje (P<0,001) tjelesne mase od kontrolne skupine. Postojala je znacajna
negativna korelacija izmedu doze salinomicina i prirasta tjelesnih masa brojlera
(r=0,845, P<0,05). Skupni omjer konverzije hrane (FCR) u tom razdoblju bio je
2,21 za kontrolnu skupinu, a u usporedbi s brojlerima koji su dobivali 60 ppm
(omjer 3,251), 120 ppm (omjer 3,859) odnosno 180 ppm (omjer 4,161) salinomicina
u hrani. Bila je pozitivna korelacija FCR i doze salinomicina (r=0,973,
P<0,001). Indeksi organa za jetru, zljezdani zeludac, crijeva i slijepa
crijeva uz 60 ppm salinomicina nisu imali znacajnog utjecaja na misicni zeludac,
bubrege i srce, ali uz 120 ppm bili su znacajno smanjeni indeksi za misicni
zeludac i bubrege u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom (P<0,001). S druge
strane, indeks za srce bio je znacajno veci u brojlera hranjenih sa 180 ppm
salinomicina u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom (P<0,001). Utrobni organi
brojlera koji su dobivali razlicite doze salinomicina izgledali su normalno i
makroskopski i histoloski.

Kljucne rijeci: salinomicin,
brojleri, zdravlje, konverzija hrane, prirast tjelesne mase

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