Marine seaweed extract contains polysaccharide compound not found in terrestrial sources.

Tim Lundeen, Editor

January 27, 2020

1 Min Read
Marine seaweed extract may aid poultry vaccine response
zlikovec/iStock/Thinkstock

An increasing amount of feed additive research is looking at potential uses for various forms of algae as growth modulators, antibiotic replacements and other uses. However, not all types of algae are equivalent.

At the International Poultry Science Forum in Atlanta, Ga., researchers with the Olmix Group in France introduced a marine algae extract that may improve vaccine response and performance in poultry (abstract M112).

Le Goff Matthieu, along with co-author Frederick Bussy, said the marine algae source is important because it influences the constituent compounds in the algae, and extraction/processing steps are key to revealing the full potential of the algae.

The algae extract from Olmix contains sulfated branched hetero-polysaccharides that are not present in terrestrial plants, microalgae or yeast cell walls because of the sulfate group, Matthieu said.

Matthieu presented a summary of three trials in pullets, layers and broilers to evaluate the effect of the sulfated polysaccharide extract on the performance and reinforcement of adaptive immune response against Newcastle disease.

According to the published abstract, feed consumption and daily weight gain were equivalent, but a decrease in mortality was observed when the extract was provided in drinking water near Newcastle disease vaccination.

Matthieu concluded that these trials demonstrate the capacity of the sulfated polysaccharide extract from seaweed to improve the homogeneity of Newcastle disease antibody titers in combination with improved bird performance.

She added that the product may also be used as a vaccine adjuvant, but further study is underway.

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