scholarly journals Effects of Clostridium butyricum on Growth Performance, Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Barrier Function of Broilers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjia Li ◽  
Bin Xu ◽  
Linyi Wang ◽  
Quanyou Sun ◽  
Wen Deng ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Clostridium butyricum dietary supplementation on the growth, antioxidant, immune response, gut microbiota, and intestinal barrier function of broilers under high stocking density (HSD) stress. A total of 324 1-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly assigned to three treatments with six replicates, each replicate including 18 chickens (18 birds/m2). The experiment lasted 6 weeks. The three treatments were basal diet (control, CON), basal diet supplemented with 1 × 109 colony forming units (cfu)/kg C. butyricum (CB), and basal diet supplemented with 10 mg/kg virginiamycin (antibiotic, ANT). The results showed that the body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) of broilers in the CB group were significantly higher than those in the CON group in three periods (p < 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in serum of the CB group were significantly increased compared with those in the CON and ANT groups at 42 days (p < 0.05). At 42 days, the serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels of the CB group were significantly higher than those of the CON group. Compared with the CON group, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the CB group was significantly decreased in the starter and grower stages (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups (p > 0.05). C. butyricum significantly decreased the high stocking density-induced expression levels of IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the ileum of broilers at different stages. Additionally, C. butyricum could increase the expressions of claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in intestinal tissue. Moreover, C. butyricum significantly increased the Sobs and Shannon indices in the CB group compared with the ANT group (p < 0.05), while the Ace index in the CB group was significantly higher than that of the CON group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the proportion of Bacteroides in the CB group was increased compared to those in the CON and ANT groups at the genus level. In conclusion, C. butyricum supplemented into feed could improve the growth performance and feed utilization of broilers by promoting immune and intestinal barrier function and benefiting the cecal microflora.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongdi Zeng ◽  
Zirui Wang ◽  
Tiande Zou ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
Guanhong Li ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary bacteriophage supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, barrier function, and intestinal microbiota of weaned piglets fed antibiotic-free diet. A total of 120 weaned piglets were allotted to four dietary treatments with five pens/treatment and six piglets/pen in a 21-d feeding trial. The control diet was supplemented with 25 mg/kg quinocetone and 11.25 mg/kg aureomycin in the basal diet, while the three treatment diets were supplemented with 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg bacteriophage in the basal diet, respectively. There was no difference for growth performance and all measured indices of serum and intestinal tissues between 200 mg/kg bacteriophage group and the control group with antibiotics (P > 0.05). More importantly, compared with the control diet, dietary 400 mg/kg bacteriophage inclusion increased average daily gain and average daily feed intake, and decreased feed/gain ratio and diarrhea incidence of weaned piglets (P < 0.05). Also, piglets fed 400 mg/kg bacteriophage had elevated villi height (VH) in jejunum and ileum, reduced crypt depth (CD) in jejunum and ileum, and elevated VH/CD ratio in duodenum, jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, piglets fed 400 mg/kg bacteriophage had lower interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and higher interleukin-10 (IL-10) concentration in serum, and higher secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), and tumor growth factor-alpha (TGF-α) content in the ileal mucosa (P < 0.05). Besides, dietary addition with 400 mg/kg bacteriophage decreased the D-lactate concentration and diamine oxidase (DAO) activity in serum, and increased the relative mRNA expression of ZO-1, Claudin-1, Occludin, TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9, as well as the relative protein expression of Occludin in the jejunum (P < 0.05). However, the growth performance and all analyzed parameters in serum and intestinal tissues were not further improved when piglets fed 600 vs. 400 mg/kg bacteriophage (P > 0.05). MiSeq sequencing analysis showed that bacteriophage regulated the microbial composition in caecum digesta, as indicated by higher observed_species, Chao1, and ACE richness indices, as well as changes in the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Tenericutes (P < 0.05). Collectively, 400 mg/kg bacteriophage can be used as an antibiotics alternative for promoting the growth of weaned piglets. The underlying mechanism is associated with a positive effect of bacteriophage on intestinal inflammation, intestinal barrier function and gut microbiota in weaned piglets.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
xiao xu ◽  
Shunli Yang ◽  
Joshua Seun Olajide ◽  
Zigang Qu ◽  
Zhenxing Gong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Necrotic enteritis (NE), which is caused by Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), is an economically important disease in broiler. Among normal flora in the broiler intestinal, Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) has been identified as a probiotic agent that reduces the susceptibility of broilers to C. perfringens. It also promotes the repair of broiler intestinal damage from harmful intestinal pathogens. However, the effects of C. butyricum infection on broiler intestinal integrity during NE are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of C. butyricum on the growth performance, intestinal morphology and barrier function, and the functions of immune-related cytokines under NE in broilers. Results Infected group (PC) showed significant decrease in the average daily gain (ADG, p < 0.01) and increase in feed conversion ratio (FCR, p < 0.01) compared with C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) through dietary supplement. Supplementation of C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) restored the intestinal villus height, increased the crypt depth, and reduced the intestinal damage under NE. Furthermore, broilers infected with NE (PC) had higher serum IgA and endotoxin content, and after addition with C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) returned to normal level. In addition, compared with PC, supplementation of C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) restored intestinal barrier function-related genes (such as CLDN-1, CLDN-3, OCLN, MUC2, ZO-1, and CLDN5), cytokines (such as TNF-α, IL-10, IL-6, and TGFB1) and C. perfringens plc gene expression. Moreover, C. butyricum (NECB1 and NECB2) could restore the decrease in Gt (p < 0.01) and Isc caused by NE (PC). In addition, NECB2 reduced the upregulation of FD4 flux caused by NE infection (p < 0.01). Conclusion Dietary supplementation of C. butyricum into broilers with NE improved chicken growth performance, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function, and immune function. Notably, no statistical difference was observed with the addition of C. butyricum at different time points.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 527
Author(s):  
Jie Fu ◽  
Tenghao Wang ◽  
Xiao Xiao ◽  
Yuanzhi Cheng ◽  
Fengqin Wang ◽  
...  

This study investigated the effects of dietary C. butyricum ZJU-F1 on the apparent digestibility of nutrients, intestinal barrier function, immune response, and microflora of weaned piglets, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the application of Clostridium butyricum as an alternative to antibiotics in weaned piglets. A total of 120 weanling piglets were randomly divided into four treatment groups, in which piglets were fed a basal diet supplemented with antibiotics (CON), Bacillus licheniformis (BL), Clostridium butyricum ZJU-F1 (CB), or Clostridium butyricum and Bacillus licheniformis (CB-BL), respectively. The results showed that CB and CB-BL treatment increased the intestinal digestibility of nutrients, decreased intestinal permeability, and increased intestinal tight junction protein and mucin expression, thus maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier. CB and CB-BL, as exogenous probiotics, were also found to stimulate the immune response of weaned piglets and improve the expression of antimicrobial peptides in the ileum. In addition, dietary CB and CB-BL increased the proportion of Lactobacillus. The levels of butyric acid, propionic acid, acetic acid, and total acid were significantly increased in the ceca of piglets fed CB and CB-BL. Furthermore, we validated the effects of C. butyricum ZJU-F1 on the intestinal barrier function and immune response in vitro and found C. butyricum ZJU-F1 improved intestinal function and enhanced the TLR-2-MyD88-NF-κB signaling.


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