Fig. 1. Effects of dietary β-glucan on SE organ invasion in immature chickens. β-glucan fed as a nutritional supplement to neonatal chickens 3 days prior to SE challenge significantly reduced the incidence of SE organ invasion when compared to the incidence of SE organ invasion in chickens fed a control fed ration 3 days prior to SE challenge (*indicates statistically significant differences, P<0.05; SigmaStat, 1994).

Fig. 2. β-glucan as a feed additive stimulates bactericidal killing in immature chicken heterophils. Heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control ration were compared to heterophils isolated from chickens fed a β-glucan ration. The percentage of SE killed by heterophils was analyzed for significance (*indicates statistically significant differences P<0.05). control feed, β-glucan feed (SigmaStat, 1994).

Effects of feeding β-glucan on chicken heterophil phagocytosis

Heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control ration were compared to heterophils isolated from chickens fed a β-glucan-supplemented ration. Parameters analyzed for significance were as follows: percent heterophils containing SE, mean number of SE per heterophil, and phagocytic index (PI) (SigmaStat, 1994).

Effects of dietary β-glucan on immature chicken heterophil degranulation

Heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control ration were compared to heterophils isolated from chickens fed a β-glucan-supplemented ration. There was no significant difference in the release of β-glucuronidase between heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control ration when compared to chickens fed a β-glucan-supplemented ration. The addition of opsonized bacteria did not significantly change the degranulation process (a,b: different letters within a column indicate a statistically significant difference, P<0.05; SigmaStat, 1994).

Effects of dietary β-glucan on immature chicken heterophil oxidative burst

Heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control ration were compared to heterophils isolated from chickens fed a β-glucan-supplemented ration. Control heterophils from each group were compared for significance as were heterophils stimulated with PMA. Oxidative burst was measured by LDCL. Heterophils isolated from chickens fed the β-glucan-supplemented ration stimulated with PMA released more oxygen free radicals than did PMA-stimulated heterophils isolated from chickens fed a control ration (a,b,c: different letters within a column indicate a statistically significant difference, P<0.05; SigmaStat, 1994).