Multi-Enzyme Supplementation Modifies the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome in Breeding Hens.

Yuchen Liu,Lujiang Qu,Zhong Wang,Zhonghua Ning,Dan Zeng

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.711905

Abstract

Laying and reproductive performance, egg quality, and disease resistance of hens decrease during the late laying period. Exogenous enzymes promote nutrient digestibility and utilization and improve the intestinal environment. However, the specific regulation of the gut microbiome and metabolome by exogenous enzymes remains unelucidated. This study was conducted to evaluate effects of dietary multi-enzyme supplementation on egg and reproductive performance, egg quality, ileum microbiome, and metabolome of breeders. Here, 224 Hy-Line Brown breeding hens (55 weeks old) were randomly allocated to two groups: dietary controls fed basal diet (DC), and test hens fed 0.2 g/kg corn enzyme diet (CE). Serum levels of total protein, globulin, immunoglobulin Y, and antibodies against the Newcastle disease virus and avian influenza H9 strain were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Egg albumen height, Haugh unit, and fertilization and hatching rates were also significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the CE-fed group. 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that CE strongly affected both α- and β-diversity of the ileal microbiota. LEfSe analysis revealed that the potentially beneficial genera Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Faecalicoccus, and Streptococcus were enriched as biomarkers in the CE-fed group. Microbial functional analysis revealed that the functional genes associated with harmful-substance biodegradation was significantly increased in the CE-fed group. Additionally, Spearman correlation analysis indicated that changes in microbial genera were correlated with differential metabolites. In summary, dietary multi-enzyme addition can improve egg quality, humoral immunity, and reproductive performance and regulate the intestinal microbiome and metabolome in breeders. Therefore, multi-enzymes could be used as feed additive to extend breeder service life.

Highlights

With increasing age, physiological function and digestive enzyme activity decrease and are always accompanied by gut microbiota disorder after the peak laying period in breeding hens, causing significant economic loss (Liu et al, 2013; Jing et al, 2014; Gu et al, 2021)
AP accounts for 70–80% of most starch sources and requires pullulanase for hydrolysis
Studies have demonstrated that the addition of α-amylase to a corn-soybean diet can release more feed energy and significantly improve apparent nutrient digestibility, digestive enzyme activity, and production performance of poultry (Aderibigbe et al, 2020)

Summary

Introduction

Physiological function and digestive enzyme activity decrease and are always accompanied by gut microbiota disorder after the peak laying period in breeding hens, causing significant economic loss (Liu et al, 2013; Jing et al, 2014; Gu et al, 2021). Pullulanase is an important debranching enzyme that originates from bacteria, plants, and less commonly, fungi. It could often attack α-1,6 linkages, thereby efficiently converting branched polysaccharides into small molecular sugars (Hii et al, 2012; Tomasik and Horton, 2012). Studies have demonstrated that the addition of α-amylase to a corn-soybean diet can release more feed energy and significantly improve apparent nutrient digestibility, digestive enzyme activity, and production performance of poultry (Aderibigbe et al, 2020). Previous research indicated that supplementation with glucoamylase or protease combined with amylase could improve starch digestibility and gut microbiota diversity and promote the growth of broilers (Yin et al, 2018). Exogenous enzymes can communicate with the host by utilizing indigestible dietary components and providing nutrients to regulate digestive, immune, and antioxidant functions to facilitate production performance and benefit the host (Pan and Yu, 2014; Cowieson and Kluenter, 2019; Monier, 2020; Giacobbo et al, 2021)

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