Ceca Of Broiler Chickens Research Articles

Impact of different forms of the intestinum cecum microbiome of broiler chickens

The effect of trace elements on intestinal microflora of the intestinum cecum of broiler chickens was studied. One of the causes of reduced intestinal digestive function in birds is the overgrowth of microbial flora in the intestinal lumen, resulting in decreased chyme advancement and premature deconjugation of primary bile acids. Excess microbial flora can cause damage to the small intestinal epithelium because the metabolites of some microorganisms are cytotoxic. Determination of the number of microorganisms in the intestinum cecum of broilers is an important step in monitoring the viability of the organism. The intestinal microbiota is the largest and most complex microecosystem of animals. Microflora is not only involved in various metabolic pathways to regulate metabolism, but also plays an important role as an intermediary between food and host. Gut microbiota diversity and avian body health influence and shape each other, and the gut microbiota maintains a relatively balanced state with the host under sustained environmental regulation. The gut microbiota plays an important regulatory role in nutrient metabolism and immune defense. The paper presents a study of the effect of different forms of chromium (Cr): chloride (CrCl3), ultrafine particles (UFP Cr) and picolinate (CrPic) on the intestinal microflora of the intestinum cecum of broiler chickens. In the group receiving CrPic with the diet, the genus Bacteroides occupied more than 50%, which is more than half of the total abundance of this taxon, the number of Clostridium XlVb was much less abundant at 0.6%. Collectively, the present study characterized the dynamic changes in the microbial community of the intestinum cecum of broiler chickens under exposure to different forms of Cr. The addition of CrPic to the diet of broiler chickens significantly affected the microbial diversity of the intestinum cecum and caused changes in the microbial community characterized by an increase in the phylum Bacteroidetes, where Bacteroides species was the main one.

Evaluation of stimbiotic on growth performance and intestinal development of broilers fed corn- or wheat-based diets

In the antibiotics-free era, stimbiotic (STB) has been suggested as a new alternative of antibiotic growth promoters to modulate intestinal health via stimulating dietary fiber utilization in poultry production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of STB supplementation in corn- or wheat-basal diet on growth performance, intestinal development, and function of broilers. A total of 512 one-day-old Arbor Acres(AA)broilers were randomly allocated 4 treatments, including corn group (CG), corn+100 g/t STB (CG+STB), wheat group (WG), wheat+100 g/t STB (WG+STB). The broilers were weighed at the days of 14, 28, and 42, of which 8 repetitions per treatment were randomly selected to determine the intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier, and cecal microbiota and metabolites. Our data showed that STB increased (P < 0.05) feed intake, body weight and reduced FCR for the overall period (0-42 d). At 28 d of age, significant increases in villus height and the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (V/C) were found in the STB supplementation groups (P < 0.05). Addition of STB significantly increased intestinal mucosal DAO and AMPK enzyme activity and the gene expression of OCLN, CLDN1, ZO1, MUC2, SGLT1, PEPT1, FABP2, Ghrelin, and GCG in jejunum (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased the expression of the PYY gene. In addition, STB increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, and Oscillospirales (P < 0.05). A significant increase in cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) concentration was also observed in the STB supplementation groups. At the cellular level, STB cannot directly increase the expression of small intestinal epithelial cells, and may indirectly improve intestinal barrier function by increasing the level of sodium butyrate. Overall, these results indicated that STB supplementation could improve the growth performance, intestinal development and barrier functions, and fiber fermentation in cecum of broiler chickens.

The effects of fermented feedstuff derived from Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus by-products on growth performance, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, nutrient utilization, meat quality, gut microbiota, and metabolites of broiler chicken.

This research aimed to assess the impact of fermented Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus by-products (FCSF) on the growth performance, gut digestive enzyme activity, nutrient utilization efficiency, gut microbiota, and their metabolites in broiler chickens. A total of 1,080 male broiler chickens were allocated into four groups (T1-T4) consisting of 6 replicates per group, each containing 45 chickens. The basal diet was provided to group T1, while groups T2, T3, and T4 were supplemented with 1%, 3%, and 5% FCSF in the basal diet, respectively. The experimental period was 42 days. The findings revealed that supplementing FCSF improved the FW and ADG of broiler chickens, and led to a reduction in the F/G, ADFI, and mortality rate of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). Furthermore, supplementation with 3% and 5% FCSF improved the thigh yield, semi-eviscerated carcass yield, slaughter yield, and lipase activity in the duodenum and ileum of birds (p < 0.05). Additionally, supplementing 3% FCSF enhanced the activity of protease in the duodenum of broilers (p < 0.05). Moreover, supplementing 3% FCSF enhanced the utilization of total phosphorus, dry matter, crude protein, and crude ash in the feed by broilers (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, supplementation of 3% and 5% FCSF reduced the serine content in broiler chicken breast meat (p < 0.05). Supplementing 1% FCSF significantly increased the C14:0, C14:1, and C20:1 content in the breast meat compared to the other experimental groups (p < 0.05). The levels of C20:4n6 and C23:0 in the breast meat of birds of FCSF supplemented groups were lower than in T1 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the content of ∑ω-3PUFA decreased after supplementing with 3% and 5% FCSF (p < 0.05). 16SrDNA showed that supplementing 3% FCSF reduced the ACE, Chao1, and Shannon indices in the cecum of birds (p < 0.05). Supplementing 3% FCSF also decreased the abundance of the phylum Desulfobacterota and improved genera Coprobacter and Prevotella in the cecum of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that supplementing 3% FCSF upregulated 6 metabolites and downregulated 16 metabolites (p < 0.05). Moreover, supplementing 3% FCSF downregulated 12 metabolic pathways and upregulated 3 metabolic pathways (p < 0.05). In summary our findings indicate that supplementing FCSF can improve the growth performance of broiler chickens by enhancing intestinal digestive enzyme activity, nutrient utilization, improving gut microbial diversity, and influencing the metabolism of gut microbiota.

Performance, Gut Integrity, Enterobacteria Content in Ceca of Broiler Fed Different Eubiotic Additives

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of different eubiotics on productive characteristics, intestinal integrity, as well as the content of enterobacteria in the cecum of broiler chickens. A completely randomized design with five treatments and 8 replicates of 25 birds each was used. In total 1000 mixed broiler chickens from Ross308 strain, one day old were obtained from a commercial hatchery. The birds were housed on concrete floors in a conventional house. A sorghum+soybean meal control diet was used, to which the additives under study were added. The treatments were distributed as follows: T1 = Control diet without antibiotic or eubiotic; T2 = T1 + bacteriophages; T3 = T1 + antibiotic; T4 = T1 + probiotic; T5 = T1 + symbiotic. The results obtained at 49 days of age for weight gain and feed conversion rate improved (p<0.05) with the addition of the antibiotic and eubiotics. A lower (p<0.05) intestinal density was observed with the probiotic. The height, width, and area of villi in duodenum was higher (p<0.05) when antibiotic and eubiotics were included. In the histological score, in duodenum, the antibiotic and eubiotics resulted with a higher score (p<0.05), associated to a physiological and controlled inflammation response that allowed improving productivity. Finally, the relative expression of enterobacteria, such as Lactobacillus salivarius, allowed associating positive changes in the microbiome and better productive parameters when including the symbiotic, with comparable results to the antibiotic when including the eubiotics.

Effects of Heat Stress on Histomorphology and Tight Junction Genes Expression in the Cecum of Broiler Chickens

Effects of Heat Stress on Histomorphology and Tight Junction Genes Expression in the Cecum of Broiler Chickens

Provision of natural antibiotics in drinking water on the performance and number of microbes in broiler cecum

This study aimed to determine the effect of natural antibiotics in drinking water on the total microbial population and performance in the cecum of broiler chickens. The material used was 96 broiler chickens of strain CP 707 from PT Charoen Pokphand Jaya. The experimental design used was a completely randomized design (CRD) consisting of 4 treatments and 6 replications. Statistical analysis using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The treatments tested were: T0: without natural antibiotics; T1: 5 mL of natural antibiotics per liter of drinking water; T2: 10 mL of natural antibiotics per liter of drinking water; and T3: 15 mL of natural antibiotics per liter of drinking water. The parameters studied were performance (consumption, body weight, and conversion) and total microbes in broiler cecum. The results showed that the treatment had no significant effect (P &gt; 0.05) on performance but had an effect on the total amount of bacteria present in the cecum. It was concluded that the administration of natural antibiotics in drinking water caused the total bacteria present in the cecum to decrease so that it could improve the performance of broiler chickens, although there were no significant differences in consumption, final body weight, or conversion.

Microbial diversity in the cecum of broiler chickens after introduction of coumarin and feed antibiotic into the diet

In modern world, there is a need to search for alternatives to antibiotics due to the growing resistance of microorganisms. Plant extracts can be a promising replacement. Due to biological functions, they can suppress the development of various processes associated with pathogenicity and virulence, in particular, the Quorum sensing process. Based on the above, the aim of the study was to assess the bioactivity of 7,8-dihydroxy-4- methylcoumarin and 20% chlortetracycline in relation to the microbial diversity of the cecum of broiler chickens. 4 groups of broiler chickens were formed for the experiment. The control group received a diet without additives (basic diet (BD)); group I - BD + 20% chlortetracycline, at the dosage 0.63 g/kg bw per day, group II - BD + 7,8-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin at a dose of 9.0 mcg/ kg bw per day; Group III - BD + 7,8-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin + 20% chlortetracycline. The NGS of the 16S rRNA gene was used as a research method. Analysis of the results showed that addition of coumarin, the antibiotic and their combination to the poultry diet had an impact on formation of the microbial composition of intestine. Moreover, there was a decrease in the number of Lactobacillaceae , Lachnospiraceae and Erysipelotrichaceae families. In addition, the proportion of opportunistic Streptococcus flora decreased more than by 10 %.

Effects of Grape Seed Powder on Productive Performance, Lipid Profile and Total Bacteria in Duodenum and Ceca of Broiler Chickens.

Intensive broiler production exposed the birds to several stressors, such as environmental factors, crowding and vaccination. However, when free radical is higher than physiological tolerance cause oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing different levels of grape seed powder to a broiler diet on productive performance, lipid profile and bacterial count of the duodenum and cecum. A total of 180 unsexed one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308). Birds were randomly distributed to four dietary treatments (three replicates/treatment, 15 chicks/pen). T1: (control) without addition, T2, T3, and T4, (1, 2, 3) % grape seed powder /kg diet, respectively. Results indicated that final body (42 days of age) and accumulative weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P<0.05) better in T2 and T3 (2 and 3) % grape seed powder/kg diet. Blood glucose concentration, cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL, and MDA were significantly (P<0.05) decreased in T3 and T4 compared with other groups. While there were significant (P<0.05) increases in HDL and Glutathione peroxidase in T3 and T4. There was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in total aerobic bacteria and clone bacteria and a significant increase (P<0.05) in lactobacillus of duodenum and ceca for T3 and T4, respectively. It could be concluded from this study that adding grape seed powder at levels of (2 and 3) % has beneficial effects on productive performance, lipid profile and microbial count of duodenum and ceca.

Effects of prebiotic supplementation on the concentration of short-chain fatty acids in the ceca of broiler chickens: A meta-analysis of controlled trials

Prebiotics may confer a health benefit to multiple host species (e.g., pigs and humans), probably, in part, through increasing concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut. However, in broiler chickens, a discrepancy of the results among controlled trials exists as to whether prebiotic supplementation can increase concentration of SCFAs in the gut. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the overall effect size of prebiotic supplementation on the concentration of SCFAs in the ceca of broiler chickens, and to explore sources of heterogeneity of the results among the included studies. The study outcomes were standardized mean difference (SMD) of the concentrations of total SCFAs, acetate, propionate, and butyrate. The relevant citations were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Titles and abstracts of the retrieved citations were screened for possible eligibility. Then, full-texts of eligible articles were assessed for data extraction. A random effects model was used for estimating the overall effect size and for all other meta-analyses. Subgroup meta-analysis was used to assess heterogeneity of the results regarding three sources: type of prebiotics, rearing system, and breed of broiler chickens. Meta-regression analysis was used to determine the association between duration of prebiotic application and SCFA concentrations. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine robustness of the results. Risk of bias of the included studies was also assessed. Of 391 citations, 22 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Although prebiotic supplementation significantly increased the concentration of propionate (SMD = 0.29, [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.01–0.56, P = 0.040]) and that of butyrate (SMD = 0.69, [95% CI, 0.37–1.01], P < 0.001), high heterogeneity was observed for the pooled estimate of those outcomes. Types of prebiotics and rearing system were identified as sources of heterogeneity of the results. Some of the included studies remarkably influenced the pooled estimate of the outcomes. In conclusion, more availably related trials are required to confirm a health benefit from prebiotic supplementation on the concentration of SCFAs in broiler chickens.

Identification of Brachyspira spp. in the cecum of broiler chickens using histology and in situ diagnostic assays

The genus Brachyspira corresponds to the group of bacteria formerly classified into the genus Serpulina and includes several commensal and pathogenic intestinal spirochetes that affect pigs, poultry, and other animal species, including humans. In birds, some pathogenic species of this genus causes a condition known as avian intestinal spirochetosis, which remains underdiagnosed, thereby causing serious economic losses. Brachyspira is a fastidious organism that necessitates the employment of fast and efficient identification techniques. The aim of this study was to identify Brachyspira spp. using histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from the cecum of commercial poultry. Samples were collected from 129 birds aged between 35 and 45 days from commercial broiler farms. For evaluation, routine histology processing (H&amp;E) and the histochemical technique, periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) were done. Additionally, FFPE tissue samples were evaluated for FISH and IHC. The histological lesions were analyzed and graded after H&amp;E staining, and the goblet cells were counted and compared using PAS staining with the positive and negative samples obtained through FISH and IHC. For FISH, probes labeled with Brachyspira spp., B. pilosicoli, B. hyodysenteriae, and B. intermedia were used, whereas rabbit polyclonal antibody specific for Brachyspira spp. was used for IHC. Of 129 samples, 82 were positive with IHC and 86 were positive with FISH. The samples positive for the genus Brachyspira in the FISH technique were tested for B. pilosicoli, B. hyodysenteriae, and B. intermedia in which 56 were positive for B. pilosicoli, 75 for B. hyodysenteriae and 80 for B. intermedia. There was an increase in goblet cells in the samples positive for FISH and IHC. The techniques used were effective and gave corresponding results, thus serving as a fast and efficient tool for diagnosis.

Effect of Raw and Fermented Grape Pomace on the Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status, Intestinal Morphology, and Selected Bacterial Species in Broiler Chicks.

Simple SummaryGrape pomace (GP) is a by-product of fruit juice and wine production. Owing to its biochemical composition and lower cost, GP has the potential to be a feed additive for poultry nutrition. However, its antinutritional compounds limit its usability in broiler diets. Fermentation is an ancient and useful method for the utilization of agricultural residues. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of GP and Aspergillus niger-fermented grape pomace (FGP) on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and selected bacterial species in broilers. Dietary GP improved the antioxidant status and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. Dietary FGP enhanced the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and selected intestinal bacterial species of broilers. Dietary GP caused worsened growth performance compared with the synthetic antioxidants, although FGP had similar growth performance. The findings demonstrate that FGP can be an alternative to synthetic antioxidants for broiler diets.The effects of raw (GP) and fermented grape pomace (FGP) on the growth performance, some carcass parameters, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and selected bacterial species in broiler chicken were investigated in this study. Grape pomace was fermented with Aspergillus niger for 7 d. In total, 140 one-day-old male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, with five replicates and seven birds each. Chickens were fed either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.25 g/kg synthetic antioxidants (5% butylated hydroxytoluene, 1% butylated hydroxyanisole, and 11% ethoxyquin) (AO), or 15 g/kg GP (GP), or 15 g/kg FGP (FGP) for 42 d. Dietary GP raised serum glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.031) and superoxide dismutase (p = 0.021) levels, increased ileum lamina muscularis thickness (p = 0.016), and did not affect selected bacterial species in the cecum of broiler chickens. Dietary FGP improved body weight (p = 0.003), increased the serum catalase level (p = 0.032), and decreased the cecal Clostridium perfringens count (p = 0.033) but did not affect the ileal morphology of broiler chickens. The carcass parameters, malondialdehyde level, pH, and color of the breast meat of chickens were not changed by either GP or FGP supplementation. Chickens fed with the synthetic antioxidants had similar growth performance with the chickens fed with FGP but had better body weight (p = 0.003) and feed conversion ratio (p = 0.045) compared with the chickens fed with GP. The obtained results showed that FGP can be used as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in broiler diets.

Effects of supplementing feed with fermentation concentrate of Hericium caput-medusae (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. on cholesterol deposition in broiler chickens

The fermentation concentrate of Hericium caput-medusae (Bull.:Fr.) Pers. (HFC) is a liquid fermentation product of fungi. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with HFC on cholesterol deposition in the liver and meat, as well as the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the cecum of broiler chickens. A total of 480 male broiler chickens (1-d-old, initial body weight of 38.8 ± 0.9 g) were randomly assigned to 4 dietary treatments with 6 cages/treatment and 20 broiler chickens/cage. The broiler chickens in the 4 treatments received diets supplemented with 0, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8% of HFC during the 42-d feeding experiment. The results showed that the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as the dietary HFC supplementation increased. The cholesterol contents in the liver, thigh, and breast muscles of broiler chickens decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing HPC supplementation. The serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and excreta bile acid content increased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) with the increase of dietary HFC supplementation. The gene expression of 3‑hydroxy‑3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) in the liver of broiler chickens decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as the dietary HFC supplementation increased. The contents of propionic acid and butyric acid increased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) as the dietary supplementation of HFC increased. The cholesterol-lowering effects of this treatment might be attributed to the decrease in the gene expression of HMGR in the liver, the increase in SCFA production in the cecum, and the increase in bile acids in the excreta by HFC. Therefore, supplementation of HFC in the diet of broiler chickens may be a means of producing the low-cholesterol chicken demanded by consumers.

Selectived and Reshaped Early Dominant Microbial Community in the Cecum With Similar Proportions and Better Homogenization and Species Diversity Due to Organic Acids as AGP Alternatives Mediate Their Effects on Broilers Growth.

Understanding the differences in microbial communities shaped by different food selective forces, especially during early post-hatch period, is critical to gain insight into how to select, evaluate, and improve antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) alternatives in food animals. As a model system, commercial diet-administered OAs (DOAs) and water-administered OAs (WOAs) were used separately or in combination as Virginiamycin alternatives for broiler feeding during two growth phases: 1–21 days and 22–42 days. Among these three OA-treated groups, the DOA group was most similar to the AGP group in the composition and the proportion of these dominant bacterial communities at the level of phylum, family, and genus in cecal chyme of broilers. Sub-therapeutic Virginiamycin decreased the richness, homogenization, and species diversity of gut microbiota, especially in the early growth stage from days 1 to 21. Among these three OA supplementation schemes, it was clear that DOA supplementation was more likely to increase or maintain the richness, homogenization, species diversity, and predicted gene functions of cecal microbiota in treated broilers than either no supplementation or AGP supplementation during two experimental stages. The interference of DOA treatment with early colonization of probiotics and pathogens in broiler cecum was the most similar to AGP treatment, and OAs did not cause the occurrence of Virginiamycin-resistant strains of Enterococcus at the end of this trial. In terms of the predicted gene functions of the microbiota, AGP and DOA treatments provided a similar selective force for microbial metabolism functions in the cecum of broiler chickens, especially in the early growth stage. Noticeably, the relative abundance of some microbiome that was modified by Virginiamycin or DOA supplementation was significantly correlated with body weight gain and KEGG pathway analysis-annotated gene functions such as replication and repair, translation, nucleotide metabolism, and so on. With the comprehensive analysis of these results and practical application, shortened DOA supplementation, after optimization of the amount of addition, would be a suitable alternative to sub-therapeutic Virginiamycin. It was suggested that the programed intestinal microecology under such early selection forces and the effective addition time may be the key elements to focus on the designed alternate strategies of AGPs in food animals.

Effects of Allium hookerion gut microbiome related to growth performance in young broiler chickens.

Healthy food promotes beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome. A few prebiotics act as food supplements to increase fermentation by beneficial bacteria, which enhance the host immune system and health. Allium hookeri is a healthy food with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. A. hookeri is used as a feed supplement for broiler chickens to improve growth performance. Although the underlying mechanism is unknown, A. hookeri may alter the gut microbiome. In the current study, 16S rRNA sequencing has been carried out using samples obtained from the cecum of broiler chickens exposed to diets comprising different tissue types (leaf and root) and varying amounts (0.3% and 0.5%) of A. hookeri to investigate their impact on gut microbiome. The microbiome composition in the groups supplemented with A. hookeri leaf varied from that of the control group. Especially, exposure to 0.5% amounts of leaf resulted in differences in the abundance of genera compared with diets comprising 0.3% leaf. Exposure to a diet containing 0.5% A. hookeri leaf decreased the abundance of the following bacteria: Eubacterium nodatum, Marvinbryantia, Oscillospira, and Gelria. The modulation of gut microbiome by leaf supplement correlated with growth traits including body weight, bone strength, and infectious bursal disease antibody. The results demonstrate that A. hookeri may improve the health benefits of broiler chickens by altering the gut microbiome.

In ovo Injection of a Galacto-Oligosaccharide Prebiotic in Broiler Chickens Submitted to Heat-Stress: Impact on Transcriptomic Profile and Plasma Immune Parameters.

Simple SummaryGalactooligosaccharides (GOS) delivered in ovo stimulate development of indigenous microflora in the chicken embryo. Such stimulation may create a eubiotic environment in the guts which positively influences intestinal function and health. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of GOS delivered in ovo on the modulation of the transcriptomic responses in the intestinal tissues of broiler chickens challenged (or not challenged) with heat in the last growing phase. GOS stimulated several groups of genes in jejunum and in cecum independently of the heat stress provision. A general favourable effect of GOS was recognized due to the enrichment of energetic metabolism-related gene sets, mainly in jejunum. The enrichment of lipid metabolism-related gene sets in the GOS group might have contributed to gut function and barrier maintenance, which might also be linked to a reduced immune system activation, mainly at cecum level. The heat stress impaired gut functions in terms of energy and immunity, in agreement with previous studies. Under heat stress condition, the in ovo injection of GOS did not provide additional benefits to the intestinal transcriptomic response.This study investigated the effects of a galactooligosaccharide (GOS) prebiotic in ovo injected on intestinal transcriptome and plasma immune parameters of broiler chickens kept under thermoneutral (TN) or heat stress (HS) conditions. Fertilized Ross 308 eggs were injected in ovo with 0.2 mL physiological saline without (control, CON) or with 3.5 mg of GOS (GOS). Three-hundred male chicks/injection treatment (25 birds/pen) were kept in TN or HS (30 °C) conditions during the last growing phase, in a 2 × 2 factorial design. At slaughter, from 20 birds/injection group (half from TN and half from HS), jejunum and cecum were collected for transcriptome analysis, and plasma was collected. No differences in plasma parameters (IgA and IgG, serum amyloid) and no interaction between injection treatment and environment condition were found. GOS-enriched gene sets related to energetic metabolism in jejunum, and to lipid metabolism in cecum, were involved in gut barrier maintenance. A homogeneous reaction to heat stress was determined along the gut, which showed downregulation of the genes related to energy and immunity, irrespective of in ovo treatment. GOS efficacy in counteracting heat stress was scarce after ten days of environmental treatment, but the in ovo supplementation modulates group of genes in jejunum and cecum of broiler chickens.

Histopathological Alterations of Ceca in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus) Exposed to Chronic Heat Stress.

HS has been found to cause adverse effects on small intestinal microstructure, but little is known about its impact on chicken’s cecum. In this research, the histopathological alterations of broiler chicken’s cecum following chronic heat stress were evaluated. 20 broiler chickens were randomly divided into C group and T group each containing 10 replicates. Both groups were reared under standard conditions until 21d of age. At d22 until d42, the C group was kept at 24-28⁰C and 40-55% RH, while the T group was exposed to 36-40⁰C and 45-65% RH for eight hours per day. At the end of the period, proximal part of each chicken’s cecum was collected and made into histopathological slides (H&E). Villus height (VH), villus width (VW), crypt depth (CD), villus surface area (VSA), and villus height to crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio were examined from 10 villi per replicate. Results analysis showed that chronic heat stress profoundly reduced CD (p<0.05). Insignificant changes of villus despite the long heat exposure might imply that the damage is at its early phase. The conclusion is chronic heat stress can produce morphological alterations in the ceca of broiler chickens, though requiring longer duration due to cecum’s durability.

Insight Into Dynamics of Gut Microbial Community of Broilers Fed With Fructooligosaccharides Supplemented Low Calcium and Phosphorus Diets.

We investigated how the microbiota in the ileum and cecum of broiler chickens fed a diet of low calcium (Ca) and available phosphorus (aP) and prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS) supplements changed over a 3 weeks period. Three dietary treatments were randomly assigned to four replicate cages of five birds each, including: positive control (PC), a wheat-corn-soybean meal-based diet; negative control (NC), as PC with 0.2% reduced Ca and aP; and NC + FOS, as NC supplemented with 0.5% of FOS. Ileal and cecal digesta were sampled from each replicate (n = 4) on d21 and processed for 16S rRNA gene amplicon (V4 region) sequencing using Illumina platform. Statistical differences were observed in the microbiome by GI location as determined by 2-way ANOVA and Permutational MANOVA. On average, 24,216 sequence reads per sample were generated resulting in 800 and 1,280 operational taxonomic units in the ileal and cecal digesta, respectively. Difference (P < 0.0001) on alpha diversity and abundances of several phyla was observed between ileal and cecal digesta. ß-diversity was different (P < 0.05) between each treatment groups in the ileum but not in the cecum. In the cecum, species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and the number of observed species were higher in PC compared to NC + FOS (P < 0.05). Several phyla, including Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria, had significantly different abundance in the ileal and cecal digesta (P < 0.05). In the ileal digesta, positive correlation were observed between Salinibacterium and Lysobacter and PC diet. Blautia, Faecalibacterium and Pseudomonas and the NC diet and Lactobacillus and Escherichia and the NC + FOS diet. In the cecal digesta, Butyrivibrio, and Allobaculum were positively correlated to PC. Although, Clostridium and Anaerotruncus were positively correlated to NC + FOS, they showed negative correlation to PC and NC. The study concludes that dietary Ca and aP level and FOS supplementation alters ileal microbiota of the broiler chickens.

Effects of exogenous tannase enzyme on growth performance, antioxidant status, immune response, gut morphology and intestinal microflora of chicks fed grape pomace

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary addition of tannase to feed of chicks including grape pomace (GP) on growth performance, antioxidant status, immune response, blood parameters, gut morphology, intestinal microflora, liver function, and histopathological responses. The experimental diets were i) control (corn and soybean diet) (C); ii) C+10%GP; iii) C+10%GP+T1 (500 mg/kg tannase enzyme); and iv) C+10% GP+T2 (1000 mg/kg tannase enzyme). At 10 days old, the bodyweight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) of the birds fed the diet supplemented with GP was lower compared with the control group. In contrast with the control, supplementation of diets with 10%GP+1000 mg/kg tannase elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and depressed the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in serum. The addition of GP to the chicken diets had a significant impact on the total anti- sheep red blood cells (SRBC) titers and IgG, and IgM antibodies at 21 and 42 days old. The muscularis thickness of the chicken duodenum decreased in the Trial 3 compared with control groups. The inclusion of GP in the chicken diets reduced the concentration of Escherichia coli and increased that of Lactobacillus compared with the control. The results of the present study suggest that the inclusion of up to 10 percent GP in diets did not adversely affect broiler growth performance, and supplementation of tannase improved the antioxidant status and immune responses,and increased the caecal populations of beneficial bacteria in the cecum of broiler chickens. Keywords: Broiler chickens, histopathological responses, glutathione peroxidase, polyphenol, sheep red blood cells

Effects of Mannan Oligosaccharides on Ileal digestibility of Nutrients and Microbial Populations in the Ceca of Broiler Chickens

Different levels of dietary mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) and Avilamycin administered to commercial broilers were evaluated for their efficacy on performance, ileal digestibility of nutrients and microbial activity in the digestive tract. Dietary treatments included an antibiotic-free diet (CTL−), a positive control (CTL+, 10 mg/kg of Avilamycin), and three antibiotic-free diets containing Active Mos (MOS, 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3% of the diet). Each treatment was randomly assigned to 4 floor pen replicates (20 birds each). In grower and finisher period, weight gain and feed conversion ratio improved by addition of 2 and 3 g/kg prebiotic or avilamicin into basal diet compared with control diet (P 0.05). The digestibility of OM was enhanced (P<0.05) with dietary supplementation of 2 g/kg MOS as compared to the control diet.

Modulation of Chicken Intestinal Immune Gene Expression by Small Cationic Peptides as Feed Additives during the First Week Posthatch

We have been investigating modulation strategies tailored around the selective stimulation of the host's immune system as an alternative to direct targeting of microbial pathogens by antibiotics. One such approach is the use of a group of small cationic peptides (BT) produced by a Gram-positive soil bacterium, Brevibacillus texasporus. These peptides have immune modulatory properties that enhance both leukocyte functional efficiency and leukocyte proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine mRNA transcription activities in vitro. In addition, when provided as a feed additive for just 4 days posthatch, BT peptides significantly induce a concentration-dependent protection against cecal and extraintestinal colonization by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. In the present studies, we assessed the effects of feeding BT peptides on transcriptional changes on proinflammatory cytokines, inflammatory chemokines, and Toll-like receptors (TLR) in the ceca of broiler chickens with and without S. Enteritidis infection. After feeding a BT peptide-supplemented diet for the first 4 days posthatch, chickens were then challenged with S. Enteritidis, and intestinal gene expression was measured at 1 or 7 days postinfection (p.i.) (5 or 11 days of age). Intestinal expression of innate immune mRNA transcripts was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Analysis of relative mRNA expression showed that a BT peptide-supplemented diet did not directly induce the transcription of proinflammatory cytokine, inflammatory chemokine, type I/II interferon (IFN), or TLR mRNA in chicken cecum. However, feeding the BT peptide-supplemented diet primed cecal tissue for increased (P ≤ 0.05) transcription of TLR4, TLR15, and TLR21 upon infection with S. Enteritidis on days 1 and 7 p.i. Likewise, feeding the BT peptides primed the cecal tissue for increased transcription of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1β [IL-1β], IL-6, IL-18, type I and II IFNs) and inflammatory chemokine (CxCLi2) in response to S. Enteritidis infection 1 and 7 days p.i. compared to the chickens fed the basal diet. These small cationic peptides may prove useful as alternatives to antibiotics as local immune modulators in neonatal poultry by providing prophylactic protection against Salmonella infections.