Abstract
The objectives of this study were to recover bacteriophages (BPs) from the intestinal digesta of BP-fed broilers and to evaluate the antibacterial effects of encapsulated or powdered BPs in broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens. Day-old broiler chicks (n = 320/experiment) were randomly assigned to 32 pens (n = 10 broilers/pen) and allocated to one of four dietary groups: (1) unchallenged group (NEG); (2) C. perfringens-challenged group (POS); (3) POS group fed a diet supplemented with powdered BPs; and (4) POS group fed a diet supplemented with encapsulated BPs. On days 21, 22, and 23 post-hatch, all chickens except NEG were orally inoculated twice a day with 2 mL C. perfringens (1.0 × 108 cfu/mL). Varying BP levels were detected in gut digesta at all ages and were numerically or significantly higher in the encapsulated BP group than in the powdered BP group. Dietary powder or encapsulated BPs reversed the C. perfringens-mediated increase in crypt depth. In addition, villus height to crypt depth ratio was elevated in the NEG and BP-treated/challenged groups compared with that in the POS group. C. perfringens counts in the cecum were significantly lower in the BP-fed chickens than in the POS group. The encapsulated BP-supplemented diet-fed chickens had the highest serum IgA levels. Collectively, our results suggest that dietary BP remains viable in intestinal digesta upon ingestion and can inhibit cecal C. perfringens counts.
Highlights
Necrotic enteritis (NE), an economically important enteric disease in the broiler industry, is caused by gram-positive anaerobic Clostridium perfringens type A/G that impacts the global industry by compromising the performance, health, and welfare of chickens [1,2]
Varying BP levels in the BP-supplemented groups were detected in the gut digesta of different organs (Figure 2)
BP levels ranged from 4.5 × 103 to 2.9 × 105 pfu/g in the crop, from none to 3.4 × 103 pfu/g in the gizzard, from none to 1.7 × 105 pfu/g in the jejunum, and from 7.5 × 10 to 8.0 × 104 pfu/g in the cecum
Summary
Necrotic enteritis (NE), an economically important enteric disease in the broiler industry, is caused by gram-positive anaerobic Clostridium perfringens type A/G that impacts the global industry by compromising the performance, health, and welfare of chickens [1,2]. Alternative veterinary and nutritional methods, such as the use of bacteriophages (BPs), vaccines, or probiotics, have been proposed as potential strategies for preventing NE [8–10]. Among these alternatives, BP is an obligate parasite of bacteria that uses bacterial cells to replicate and has long been used in the fields of human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, and the food industry, with no safety concerns [11]. BP-expressed endolysins can destroy the peptidoglycan layer of pathogenic bacteria as novel antimicrobial agents [12], and BPs exhibit antibacterial effects against C. perfringens in broiler chickens [8,9]. BPs show antibacterial specificity against various bacteria, including colibacillosis, Salmonella gallinarum, Campylobacter and C. perfringens, in chickens [8,13–15]
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