Effect of Lactobacillus Plantarum Supplementation on Production Performance and Fecal Microbial Composition in Laying Hens.

Hongxing Qiao,Chuanzhou Bian,Xiaojing Zhang,Yuzhen Song,Hongtao Shi,Liheng Zhang

doi:10.1515/biol-2019-0009

Abstract

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus plantarum (CGMCC1.557) on egg production and fecal microbiota composition in laying hens. Sixty Hy-Line Brown laying hens (18 weeks old) were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was fed a basal diet only, and the test group was fed basal diet supplemented with a final concentration of 1.0 × 109 CFU/mL during the 10-week experimental period. Egg production and fecal microbiota composition were both assessed in 28-week-old hens using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the test group exhibited increased laying and feed intake rates (p < 0.05). At the genus level, Lactobacillus was more abundant in the test group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Conversely, Romboutsia was more abundant in the control group compared with the test group (p < 0.05). This study provides us with an insight into the potential use of L. plantarum as a food supplement in the laying hen industry. the study also provides us with a better understanding of the interplay between L. plantarum and the fecal microbiota of laying hens.

Highlights

During the past few decades, antibiotics have been widely used at subtherapeutic doses to improve growth rates and performance in the poultry industry
This study provides us with an insight into the potential use of L. plantarum as a food supplement in the laying hen industry. the study provides us with a better understanding of the interplay between L. plantarum and the fecal microbiota of laying hens
We observed that the fecal microbiota composition of laying hens fed a diet supplemented with L. plantarum was different from the control group

Summary

Introduction

During the past few decades, antibiotics have been widely used at subtherapeutic doses to improve growth rates and performance in the poultry industry. Antibiotics can result in side effects including bacterial resistance; these side effects often have detrimental consequences for human health [1]. In response to this apparent threat, the European Commission (EC) decided to ban the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock feed One environmentally friendly approach to growth promotion involves the use of probiotics, which have been used in the poultry industry for decades [4, 5]. Substantial evidence indicates that LAB are beneficial to both humans and animals [10, 11]. LAB species elicit differential effects due to variations pertaining to dose, administration route, age of the animals, the appetites of the animals, the quality of farm management, farm hygiene and biosecurity [13, 14]

Methods

Results

Conclusion