Abstract
Marine algae polysaccharides have been shown to regulate various biological activities, such as immune modulation, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic. However, litter is known about the interaction of these polysaccharides with the gut microbiota. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of marine algae Enteromorpha (Ulva) prolifera polysaccharide (EP) supplementation on growth performance, immune response, and caecal microbiota of broiler chickens. A total of 200 1-day-old Ross-308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into two treatment groups with ten replications of ten chickens in each replication. The dietary treatments consisted of the control group (fed basal diet), and EP group (received diet supplemented with 400 mg EP/kg diet). Results showed that chickens fed EP exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) body weight and average daily gain than the chicken-fed basal diet. In addition, significantly longer villus height, shorter crypt depth, and higher villus height to crypt depth ratio were observed in the jejunal and ileal tissues of chickens fed EP. EP supplementation upregulated the mRNA expression of NF-κB, TLR4, MyD88, IL-2, IFN-α, and IL-1β in the ileal and jejunal tissues (P < 0.05). Besides, we observed significantly higher (P < 0.05) short-chain volatile fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in the caecal contents of the EP group than in the control group. Furthermore, 16S-rRNA analysis revealed that EP supplementation altered gut microbiota and caused an abundance shift at the phylum and genus level in broiler chicken. Interestingly, we observed an association between microbiota and SCFAs production. Overall, this study demonstrated that supplementation of diet with EP promotes growth performance, improves intestinal immune response and integrity, and modulates the caecal microbiota of broiler chickens. This study highlighted the application of marine algae polysaccharides as an antibiotic alternative for chickens. Furthermore, it provides insight to develop marine algae polysaccharide-based functional food and therapeutic agent.
Highlights
In the poultry industry, antibiotics have been used for long years as a feed additive to promote growth and control disease
Results showed that chickens fed a diet supplemented with Enteromorpha (Ulva) prolifera polysaccharide (EP) exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) body weight and average daily gain compared with the control group
We found that the short-chain volatile fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, butyrate, and propionate increased in the caecal content of EP supplemented chickens, suggesting that EP enhanced the ability of the microbiota to induce SCFAs
Summary
Antibiotics have been used for long years as a feed additive to promote growth and control disease. There is an urgent need for antibiotic substitutes that can replace its functions while surmounting its shortcomings. In this regard, dietary fibers such as polysaccharides are known to improve health and homeostasis by enhancing the intestinal immune response and gastrointestinal barrier function [2]. Human and animal enzymes are unable to digest dietary fibers and are subject to fermentation by the gut microbiota [3]. The gut microbiota lives in a symbiotic relationship with the host, in which the host provides habitat and nutrients for their growth, while the microbiota provides essential nutrients via the fermentation of fibers. The dynamic diet-microbiota interactions shape the health and immune response of the host [4]
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