Abstract
Simple SummarySalmonellosis is one of the most severe zoonotic diseases transmitted to humans through animal products (especially poultry meat and eggs). Essential oils (EOs)-based feed additives in poultry nutrition are a possible alternative replacement of antimicrobials to fight this infection. In the present study on laying hens, we tested a phytobiotic, Intebio®, and elucidated formation of immune response and changes in cecal microbiocenosis and biochemical/immunological variables in blood caused by Salmonella. Changes in differential gene expression were observed at both one and seven days post-inoculation in the hens’ intestines, revealing similarities with known mammalian/human tissue-specific expression. The results of this study suggest that the challenge of birds with Salmonella had a negative effect, while phytobiotic intake had a positive effect on the status of their gastrointestinal microbiome, their level of metabolism, and their performance.One of the main roles in poultry resistance to infections caused by Salmonella is attributed to host immunity and intestinal microbiota. We conducted an experiment that involved challenging Lohmann White laying hens with Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), feeding them a diet supplemented with an EOs-based phytobiotic Intebio®. At 1 and 7 days post-inoculation, the expression profiles of eight genes related to immunity, transport of nutrients in the intestine, and metabolism were examined. Cecal microbiome composition and blood biochemical/immunological indices were also explored and egg production traits recorded. As a result, the SE challenge of laying hens and Intebio® administration had either a suppressive or activating effect on the expression level of the studied genes (e.g., IL6 and BPIFB3), the latter echoing mammalian/human tissue-specific expression. There were also effects of the pathogen challenge and phytobiotic intake on the cecal microbiome profiles and blood biochemical/immunological parameters, including those reflecting the activity of the birds’ immune systems (e.g., serum bactericidal activity, β-lysine content, and immunoglobulin levels). Significant differences between control and experimental subgroups in egg performance traits (i.e., egg weight/number/mass) were also found. The phytobiotic administration suggested a positive effect on the welfare and productivity of poultry.
Highlights
Contamination with Salmonella affects an estimate of 20% of poultry meat [1]
At 7 dpi, a downregulation of the IL6 gene was observed in S-II, and there its expression was elevated in S-III and S-IV as compared with the two other subgroups (p < 0.05; Supporting Information (SI) Figure S1b)
We suggest that the changes we observed in the profiles of the intestinal microbiota in chickens are self-consistent, since it is known [134,135] that the infection of the organism with S. enterica leads to an active synthesis of antimicrobial metabolites in the intestines, such as proteases, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide radicals, and chelators
Summary
Contamination with Salmonella affects an estimate of 20% of poultry meat [1]. This pathogen has the ability to remain viable for considerable periods of time in various biological and nonbiological habitats due to the formation of biofilms. Its composition correlates to a large extent with the responsiveness to gastrointestinal diseases caused by pathogens [7,8]. It can reflect inflammatory processes, an influx of phagocytes and lymphocytes from the circulatory system, an increase in the amount of pathogenic microflora, and its toxin-producing activity. Symbiotic intestinal microbiota in chickens has long been considered as a separate multifunctional “organ”
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