Relative Effects of Dietary Administration of a Competitive Exclusion Culture and a Synbiotic Product, Age and Sampling Site on Intestinal Microbiota Maturation in Broiler Chickens.

Nikoletta Such,László Menyhárt,Károly Dublecz,Gábor Csitári,László Pál,Valéria Farkas,Aliz Márton

doi:10.3390/vetsci8090187

Nikoletta Such, László Menyhárt + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8090187

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Abstract

In this research, the effects of early post-hatch inoculation of a competitive exclusion product (Br) and the continuous feeding of a synbiotic supplement (Sy) containing probiotic bacteria, yeast, and inulin on the production traits and composition of ileal chymus (IC), ileal mucosa (IM), and caecal chymus (CC) microbiota of broiler chickens were evaluated. The dietary treatments had no significant effects on the pattern of intestinal microbiota or production traits. The digestive tract bacteriota composition was affected mostly by the sampling place and age of birds. The dominant family of IC was Lactobacillaceae, without change with the age. The abundance of the two other major families, Enterococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae decreased with the age of birds. In the IM, Clostridiaceae was the main family in the first three weeks. Its ratio decreased later and Lactobacillaceae became the dominant family. In the CC, Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae were the main families with decreasing tendency in the age. In IC, Br treatment decreased the abundance of genus Lactobacillus, and both Br and Sy increased the ratio of Enterococcus at day 7. In all gut segments, a negative correlation was found between the IBD antibody titer levels and the ratio of genus Leuconostoc in the first three weeks, and a positive correlation was found in the case of Bifidobacterium, Rombutsia, and Turicibacter between day 21 and 40.

Highlights

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of poultry is colonized by a diverse group of bacterial, fungal, and protozoan species, including more than 900 bacterial species in the GIT of broilers [1]
Body weight gain, feed intake, and the feed conversion ratio of animals were not influenced by the dietary treatments in the starter, grower, and finisher phases, as well as for the whole trial (Tables 1 and 2)
According to the results of this trial, we can conclude that using the competitive exclusion product or the synbiotic feed additive at the recommended practical inclusion rate did not affect the production traits of the chickens and had only limited effects on the gut microbiota composition, mostly in the ileal chymus

Summary

Introduction

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of poultry is colonized by a diverse group of bacterial, fungal, and protozoan species, including more than 900 bacterial species in the GIT of broilers [1]. The host maintains a synbiotic relationship with its microbial inhabitants, in which the microbes play several beneficial roles. The gut microbiota provides protection against pathogenic bacteria involved in the digestion and utilization of nutrients and helps in the normal development of gut morphology. Metabolites and fermentation by-products of microbes are important for preserving gut health and supporting the intestinal immune maturation and homeostasis [2,3]. Complex interactions between microorganisms, ingested feed nutrients, and the GIT influence the stability and balance of microbial communities, the health of animals, growth, and, the efficiency of whole production [1,4]. In order to support the establishment and maintenance of balanced gut microbiota, lots of feed additives, such as organic acids, probiotics, or prebiotics can be used [5,6]

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