The gut health of poultry is closely associated with feeds and feeding. The experiment was conducted to the effect of crude glycerol addition to diets of male broilers on the bacterial microflora and morphology of their small intestines (duodenum, jejunum and ileum). A total of 120 Ross 308 broiler chicks received diets containing 0% (GLY 0), 4% (GLY 4) or 8% (GLY 8) crude glycerol for 42 days. The presence of Coliform bacteria and Enterobacteria was reduced in the duodenal tract of the broilers of GLY 4 (P<0.001); however, the presence of Staphylococci/Micrococci in the GLY 8 was reduced relative to the other groups (P<0.001). The presence of Salmonella spp. decreased in conjunction with the increasing quantities of glycerol (P<0.001). Analysis of the data regarding gut morphology (epithelial cell thickness, villi length and width, and crypt length and width) indicated that the glycerol levels fed to the different groups of broilers represented statistically different results in the small intestine. In general, whereas the diet with 4% glycerol statistically affected the investigated parameters of the gut, the diet with 8% glycerol statistically affected some segments of the broiler intestines.

The short term degradation of ‘Arabian light’ crude oil was followed under various seasonal conditions in coastal seawater at Iles Kerguelen. Artificial degradation experiments were carried out in 3 m3 tanks. In situ experiments were conducted in free-floating, semi-enclosed chambers permitting direct contact between the crude oil and the marine environment. Daily sampling allowed a regular survey of the bacterial changes of the oil contaminated seawater. All samples were analysed for total bacteria, heterotrophic viable microflora and hydrocarbon utilizing microflora. At the end of experiments, the remaining oil was carefully collected for rough quantitative estimation of hydrocarbon degradation. All the results clearly revealed a significant increase in the three types of bacterial microflora after the addition of crude oil. However, the data suggest that the initial state of the bacterial communities is important. Thus, the seasonal variations in the bacterial responses to hydrocarbon addition can be related to the differences in the natural bacterial populations involved. In all cases the wall effects observed in batch systems were reduced with in situ incubations.