Modulation of the intestinal microbiota of broilers supplemented with monensin or functional oils in response to challenge by Eimeria spp.

Alexandre Maciel Vieira,Kátia Maria Cardinal,Lucélia Hauptli,Priscila De Oliveira Moraes,Andréa Machado Leal Ribeiro,Diego Peres Netto,Fabiano Dahlke,Tatiany Aparecida Teixeira Soratto,Glauber Wagner,André Luis Ferreira Lima,Michael H Kogut

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0237118

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with 100ppm sodium monensin or 0.15% of a blend of functional oils (cashew nut oil + castor oil) on the intestinal microbiota of broilers challenged with three different Eimeria spp. The challenge was accomplished by inoculating broiler chicks with sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, and Eimeria maxima via oral gavage. A total of 864, day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb) were randomly assigned to six treatments (eight pens/treatment; 18 broilers/pen) in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, composed of three additives (control, monensin or blend), with or without Eimeria challenge. Intestinal contents was collected at 28 days of age for microbiota analysis by sequencing 16s rRNA in V3 and V4 regions using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Taxonomy was assigned through the SILVA database version 132, using the QIIME 2 software version 2019.1. No treatment effects (p > 0.05) were observed in the microbial richness at the family level estimated by Chao1 and the biodiversity assessed by Simpson’s index, except for Shannon's index (p < 0.05). The intestinal microbiota was dominated by members of the order Clostridiales and Lactobacillales, followed by the families Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Lactobacillaceae, regardless of treatment. When the controls were compared, in the challenged control group there was an increase in Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Streptococcaceae, and Peptostreptococcaceae, and a decrease in Ruminococcaceae. Similar results were found for a challenged group that received monensin, while the blend partially mitigated this variation. Therefore, the blend alleviated the impact of coccidiosis challenge on the microbiome of broilers compared to monensin.

Highlights

The more balanced the microbiome, the more resilient the intestine becomes when challenged [1,2]
Monensin is an ionophore that forms fat-soluble complexes with sodium and potassium, causing increased permeability of the coccidial membrane, which leads to toxic effects and death due to depletion of cellular energy [6]. This mechanism occurs in bacteria and may explain some of the changes seen in the intestinal microbiota, there are limited studies that relate the use of monensin to its impact on the microbiota
Gut microbiota of broilers infected with coccidiosis and supplemented with functional oils or monensin monensin acts as an antimicrobial, the blend modulates the intestinal microbiota with antimicrobial action against gram-positive bacteria, mainly C. perfringens and S. aureus [26]

Summary

Introduction

The more balanced the microbiome, the more resilient the intestine becomes when challenged [1,2]. Monensin is an ionophore that forms fat-soluble complexes with sodium and potassium, causing increased permeability of the coccidial membrane, which leads to toxic effects and death due to depletion of cellular energy [6]. This mechanism occurs in bacteria and may explain some of the changes seen in the intestinal microbiota, there are limited studies that relate the use of monensin to its impact on the microbiota. The continuous use of monensin can cause parasite resistance [9], which has stimulated research into alternative additives with similar potentials, such as phytogenics [10,11,12,13]

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Conclusion