Animals

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17 pages, 8666 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of High Dietary Iron on Fat Deposition and Gut Microbiota in Chickens

by Ting Yang, Shihao Chen, Lingling Qiu, Qixin Guo, Zhixiu Wang, Yong Jiang, Hao Bai, Yulin Bi and Guobin Chang

Animals 2024, 14(15), 2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14152254 - 3 Aug 2024

Viewed by 781

Abstract

To meet the demand of consumers for chicken products, poultry breeders have made improvements to chickens. However, this has led to a new problem in the modern poultry industry, namely excessive fat deposition. This study aims to understand the effects of dietary iron [...] Read more.

To meet the demand of consumers for chicken products, poultry breeders have made improvements to chickens. However, this has led to a new problem in the modern poultry industry, namely excessive fat deposition. This study aims to understand the effects of dietary iron supplementation on fat deposition and gut microbiota in chickens. In this study, we investigated the effects of iron on the growth performance, fat deposition, and gut microbiota of silky fowl black-bone chickens. A total of 75 7-week-old silky fowl black-bone chickens were randomly divided into three groups (five replicates per group, five chickens per replicate) and fed them for 28 days using a growing diet (control group), a growing diet + 10% tallow (high-fat diet group, HFD group), and a growing diet + 10% tallow + 500 mg/kg iron (HFDFe500 group), respectively. We detected the effects of iron on the growth performance, fat deposition, and gut microbiota of silky fowl black-bone chickens using the growth performance index test, oil red O staining, and HE staining, and found that the high-fat diet significantly increased liver and serum fat deposition and liver injury, while the addition of iron to the diet could reduce the fat deposition caused by the high-fat diet and alleviate liver injury. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing was used to compare the relative abundance of gut microbiota in the cecal contents in different feeding groups. The results showed that the high-fat diet could induce gut microbiota imbalance in chickens, while the high-iron diet reversed the gut microbiota imbalance. PICRUSt functional prediction analysis showed that dietary iron supplementation affected amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, cofactors, and vitamin metabolism pathways. In addition, correlation analysis showed that TG was significantly associated with Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota (p < 0.05). Overall, these results revealed high dietary iron (500 mg/kg) could reduce fat deposition and affect the gut microbiota of silky fowl black-bone chickens, suggesting that iron may regulate fat deposition by influencing the gut microbiota of chickens and provides a potential avenue that prevents excessive fat deposition in chickens by adding iron to the diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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21 pages, 2950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Maternal Antibodies in the Protection of Broiler Chicks against Campylobacter Colonization in the First Weeks of Life

by Kristof Haems, Diederik Strubbe, Nathalie Van Rysselberghe, Geertrui Rasschaert, An Martel, Frank Pasmans and An Garmyn

Animals 2024, 14(9), 1291; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091291 - 25 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1022

Abstract

Thermophilic Campylobacter species are the most common cause of bacterium-mediated diarrheal disease in humans globally. Poultry is considered the most important reservoir of human campylobacteriosis, but so far, no effective countermeasures are in place to prevent the bacterium from colonizing broiler flocks. This [...] Read more.

Thermophilic Campylobacter species are the most common cause of bacterium-mediated diarrheal disease in humans globally. Poultry is considered the most important reservoir of human campylobacteriosis, but so far, no effective countermeasures are in place to prevent the bacterium from colonizing broiler flocks. This study investigated maternal antibodies’ potential to offer protection against Campylobacter in broiler chicks via a field trial and an immunization trial. In the field trial, breeder flocks with high and low anti-Campylobacter antibody levels in the yolk were selected based on serological screening. Offspring were subsequently monitored for maternal antibodies and Campylobacter prevalence during early life. Although maternal antibodies declined rapidly in the serum of broilers, offspring from flocks with lower anti-Campylobacter antibody levels seemed to be more susceptible to colonization. In the immunization trial, breeders from a seropositive breeder flock were vaccinated with an experimental bacterin or subunit vaccine. Immunization increased antibody levels in the yolk and consequently in the offspring. Elevated maternal antibody levels were significantly associated with reduced Campylobacter susceptibility in broilers at 2 weeks old but not at 1 and 3 weeks old. Overall, the protective effect of maternal immunity should be cautiously considered in the context of Campylobacter control in broilers. Immunization of breeders may enhance resistance but is not a comprehensive solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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13 pages, 2113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Bile-Acid Changes and Microflora Profiles in Chicken Fatty Liver Disease Model

by Wen-Yuan Yang, Pei-En Chang, Sin-Jin Li, Shih-Torng Ding and Yuan-Yu Lin

Animals 2024, 14(7), 992; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14070992 - 23 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1535

Abstract

Excessive liver fat causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in laying hens, reducing egg production. Addressing NAFLD via bile-acid metabolism is gaining attention. We induced NAFLD in 7-week-old ISA female chickens with a high-cholesterol, low-choline diet (CLC) for 6 weeks. LC/MS was used [...] Read more.

Excessive liver fat causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in laying hens, reducing egg production. Addressing NAFLD via bile-acid metabolism is gaining attention. We induced NAFLD in 7-week-old ISA female chickens with a high-cholesterol, low-choline diet (CLC) for 6 weeks. LC/MS was used to analyze serum and cecal bile acids, while cecal digesta DNA underwent 16S rRNA sequencing. The distribution of bile acid varied in healthy (CON) and CLC-fed chickens. CLC increased secondary bile acids (TLCA, TUDCA, THDCA, TDCA) in serum and primary bile acids (CDCA, TCDCA, isoDCA) in serum, as well as glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA) in cecal contents. CLC upregulated bile-acid synthesis enzymes (CYP7A1, CYP8B1) in the liver. Bile-acid receptor gene expression (HNF4A, FXR, LXR) was similar between groups. Microbiota abundance was richer in CON (alpha-diversity), with distinct separation (beta-diversity) between CON and CLC. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio slightly decreased in CLC. Taxonomic analysis revealed higher Bacteroides, Alistipes, Megamonas in CLC but lower Barnesiella. CLC had more Mucispirillum, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, Shuttleworthia, and Olsenella, while CON had more Enterococcus, Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014, and Faecalibacterium. This study unveils bile-acid and microflora changes in a chicken NAFLD model, enhancing our understanding of fatty liver disease metabolism and aiding targeted interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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19 pages, 11958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gut Microbial Diversity Analysis of Different Native Chickens and Screening of Chicken-Derived Probiotics

by Lu Chen, Xue Bai, Tao Wang, Jia Liu, Xiaomeng Miao, Bo Zeng and Diyan Li

Animals 2023, 13(23), 3672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233672 - 27 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1777

Abstract

The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the growth, development, nutritional digestion, and overall health of chickens. Furthermore, certain probiotics isolated from poultry intestines have demonstrated the potential to enhance immune function and production performance in chickens. To investigate the differences in [...] Read more.

The gut microbiota plays a critical role in the growth, development, nutritional digestion, and overall health of chickens. Furthermore, certain probiotics isolated from poultry intestines have demonstrated the potential to enhance immune function and production performance in chickens. To investigate the differences in gut microbiota among chickens from various geographical environments and different breeds of broiler and laying hens, we conducted 16S rRNA sequencing on the fecal microbiota of 140 Chinese native chickens and ten Roman layers. In addition, we isolated and screened the potential probiotics to examine their biological characteristics, genome profiles, and functionality in animals. Our findings revealed the significant variations in gut microbiota composition and structure between Tibetan chickens (ZJ), which reside in high-altitude regions, and Meihua chickens (MH) and Xuhai chickens (XH), which inhabit low-altitude regions. Specifically, Cupriavidus and Candidatus_Bacilloplasma were identified as unique microbial communities in high and low altitudes, respectively. Notably, among regions with similar altitudes, Luning chickens (LN) exhibited the lowest α diversity, accompanied by a remarkably high relative abundance of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus. Conversely, Wugu chickens (WGs) and Yaoshan chickens (YSs) displayed similar gut microbiota profiles. Furthermore, distinctive gut microbiota patterns were observed between the different breeds of broilers and laying hens. Commercial Roman layers (LMs) exhibited significantly lower alpha diversity compared to native chickens, and broilers and laying hens predominantly harbored Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria. Of particular interest, the probiotics Lactobacillus agilis MH1 and Lactobacillus salivarius ZJ1, derived from chicken feces, exhibited favorable genomic profiles, and demonstrated anti-colitis effects and immunomodulatory functions. These findings provide a crucial theoretical foundation for native chicken research and offer insights for the future development and formulation of chicken-derived probiotics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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22 pages, 2440 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal Microbial Dynamics in Feces Discriminate by Nutrition, Fecal Color, Consistency and Sample Type in Suckling and Newly Weaned Piglets

by Barbara U. Metzler-Zebeli, Frederike Lerch, Fitra Yosi, Julia Vötterl, Juliane Ehmig, Simone Koger and Doris Verhovsek

Animals 2023, 13(14), 2251; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142251 - 9 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1533

Abstract

Feces enable frequent samplings for the same animal, which is valuable in studies investigating the development of the gut microbiome in piglets. Creep feed should prepare the piglet’s gut for the postweaning period and shape the microbiome accordingly. Little is known about the [...] Read more.

Feces enable frequent samplings for the same animal, which is valuable in studies investigating the development of the gut microbiome in piglets. Creep feed should prepare the piglet’s gut for the postweaning period and shape the microbiome accordingly. Little is known about the variation that is caused by differences in fecal color and consistency and different sample types (feces versus swab samples). Therefore, this study evaluated the age-related alterations in the microbiome composition (16S rRNA gene) in feces of suckling and newly weaned piglets in the context of nutrition and fecal consistency, color and sample type from day 2 to 34 of life. Feces from 40 healthy piglets (2 each from 20 litters) were collected on days 2, 6, 13, 20, 27, 30 and 34. Weaning occurred on day 28. Half of the litters only drank sow milk during the suckling phase, whereas the other half had access to creep feed from day 10. Creep feeding during the suckling phase influenced the age-related total bacterial and archaeal abundances but had less of an influence on the relative bacterial composition. Results further showed different taxonomic compositions in feces of different consistency, color and sample type, emphasizing the need to consider these characteristics in comprehensive microbiome studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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12 pages, 4225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anaerobutyricum and Subdoligranulum Are Differentially Enriched in Broilers with Disparate Weight Gains

by Jing Liu, Kelsy Robinson, Wentao Lyu, Qing Yang, Jing Wang, Karen D. Christensen and Guolong Zhang

Animals 2023, 13(11), 1834; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111834 - 1 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1988

Abstract

The intestinal microbiota is critically important for animal health and productivity. However, the influence of the intestinal microbiota on animal growth efficiency remains elusive. This current study was aimed at identifying the intestinal bacteria that are associated with the growth rate of broilers [...] Read more.

The intestinal microbiota is critically important for animal health and productivity. However, the influence of the intestinal microbiota on animal growth efficiency remains elusive. This current study was aimed at identifying the intestinal bacteria that are associated with the growth rate of broilers in a commercial production setting. Ross 708 broilers with extremely high, medium, and extremely low body weight (BW) were separately selected for each sex from a house of approximately 18,000 chickens on day 42. The cecal content of each animal was subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing for microbiota profiling. Our results indicate that a number of bacteria were differentially enriched among different groups of broilers, with several showing a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with BW in both sexes or in a sex-specific manner. Subdoligranulum was drastically diminished in high-BW birds with a strong negative correlation with BW in both males and females. While one Anaerobutyricum strain showed a positive correlation with BW in both sexes, another strain of Anaerobutyricum was positively correlated with BW only in females. These sex-dependent and -independent bacteria could be targeted for improving the growth efficiency and may also be explored as potential biomarkers for the growth rate of broiler chickens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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15 pages, 2699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Salmonella Typhimurium Colonization on Microbiota Maturation and Blood Leukocyte Populations in Broiler Chickens

by Kelsy Robinson, Anna L. F. V. Assumpcao, Komala Arsi, Gisela F. Erf, Annie Donoghue and Palmy R. R. Jesudhasan

Animals 2022, 12(20), 2867; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202867 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2326

Abstract

Reducing Salmonella in commercial chickens is vital to decreasing human salmonellosis infections resulting from contact with contaminated poultry and poultry products. As the intestinal microbiota plays an important role in preventing pathogen colonization, we sought to understand the relationship between Salmonella infection and [...] Read more.

Reducing Salmonella in commercial chickens is vital to decreasing human salmonellosis infections resulting from contact with contaminated poultry and poultry products. As the intestinal microbiota plays an important role in preventing pathogen colonization, we sought to understand the relationship between Salmonella infection and the cecal microbiota and the host immune system. Day-of-hatch broiler chicks were assigned to three treatments: control, artificial (SA), and natural (SN) Salmonella infection. At seven days of age, control and SA birds were inoculated with PBS or Salmonella Typhimurium, respectively. Five SA birds were transferred to SN cages to facilitate natural infection. Cecal content and blood samples were collected at 0, 8, 14, and 21 days of age for microbiota and leukocyte analysis, respectively. A significant change in microbiota composition was observed in both groups as noted by a decrease in Lactobacillus and Escherichia and an increase in Bacteroides. Leukocyte analysis revealed a decrease in the percentage of circulating monocytes at 7 days post-infection while a decrease in thrombocyte and an increase in heterophil percentages were seen at 14 days post-infection. Taken together, these results demonstrate the ability of Salmonella to modulate the intestinal microbiota to facilitate colonization. Additionally, results indicated an early role of monocytes and thrombocytes during colonization, followed by heterophils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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11 pages, 1538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insight into the Fecal Microbiota Signature Associated with Growth Specificity in Korean Jindo Dogs Using 16S rRNA Sequencing

by So-Young Choi, Bong-Hwan Choi, Ji-Hye Cha, Yeong-Jo Lim, Sunirmal Sheet, Min-Ji Song, Min-Jeong Ko, Na-Yeon Kim, Jong-Seok Kim, Seung-Jin Lee, Seok-Il Oh and Won-Cheoul Park

Animals 2022, 12(19), 2499; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192499 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2062

Abstract

Gut microbiomes are well recognized to serve a variety of roles in health and disease, even though their functions are not yet completely understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that the microbiomes of juvenile and adult dogs have significantly different compositions and characteristics. However, [...] Read more.

Gut microbiomes are well recognized to serve a variety of roles in health and disease, even though their functions are not yet completely understood. Previous studies have demonstrated that the microbiomes of juvenile and adult dogs have significantly different compositions and characteristics. However, there is still a scarcity of basic microbiome research in dogs. In this study, we aimed to advance our understanding by confirming the difference in fecal microbiome between young and adult dogs by analyzing the feces of 4-month and 16-month-old Jindo dogs, a domestic Korean breed. Microbiome data were generated and examined for the two age groups using 16S rRNA analysis. Comparison results revealed that the 16-month-old group presented a relatively high distribution of Bacteroides, whereas the 4-month-old group presented a comparatively high distribution of the Lactobacillus genus. Microbial function prediction analyses confirmed the relative abundance of lipid metabolism in 4-month-old dogs. In 16-month-old dogs, glucose metabolism was determined using microbial function prediction analyses. This implies that the functional microbiome changes similarly to the latter in adults compared with childhood. Overall, we discovered compositional and functional variations between genes of the gut microbial population in juveniles and adults. These microbial community profiles can be used as references for future research on the microbiome associated with health and development in the canine population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Animal Microbiome in Health and Disease)

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