Dietary Lasia spinosa Thw. Improves Growth Performance in Broilers

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary Lasia spinosa Thw. (LST) powder supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiome in broiler chickens. A total of 400 1-day-old male Guangxi partridge broilers (initial body weight: 42.52 ± 0.06 g) were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments: LST0 group (a basal diet), LST1 group (a basal diet with 1% LST powder), LST2 group (a basal diet with 2% LST powder), LST4 group (a basal diet with 4% LST powder), 10 replicates for each treatment, and 10 broilers in each treatment group. Results indicated that the average daily feed intake of broilers during 22–42 days and the average daily gain of chickens during 1–42 days significantly increased by dietary supplementation of LST powder (p < 0.01), while the feed conversion ratio during the overall periods was decreased by dietary supplementation of LST powder (p < 0.01). Except for the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in liver (p > 0.05), the levels of SOD, catalase (CAT) and GSH-Px in serum, liver, and breast muscle were significantly increased in the LST supplemented groups (p < 0.05), while the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum, liver, and breast muscle were significantly decreased in the LST supplemented groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly decreased by the addition of dietary LST powder (p < 0.01), while the levels of HDL-C, Ca, Fe, Mg, and P were linearly increased by the addition of dietary LST powder (p < 0.01). With respect to the gut morphometric, crypt depth was significantly decreased by LST supplementation (p < 0.05), while villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth were notably increased by LST supplementation (p < 0.05). Sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) from the cecal contents of broilers revealed that the composition of the chicken gut microbiota was altered by LST supplementation. The α-diversity of microbiota in broilers was increased (p < 0.05) in the LST1 group, but was decreased (p < 0.05) in the LST2 and LST4 groups compared with the LST0 group. The differential genera enriched in the LST1 group, such as Bacillus, Odoribacter, Sutterella, Anaerofilum, Peptococcus, were closely related to the increased growth performance, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, Ca, Mg, and reduced blood lipid in the treated broilers.

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Effects of dietary Lasia spinosa Thw. powder supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiome in Chinese yellow-feathered broilers

10.21203/rs.3.rs-710808/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hong Yongxing ◽

Zhang Lang ◽

Tian Kui ◽

Sun Haodong ◽

Liu Xingting ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gut Microbiota ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Antioxidant Status ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Breast Muscle ◽

Blood Metabolites ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Group A

Abstract Background: Lasia spinosa Thw. (LST) has been proven to be nutritious and have growth-promoting, antioxidant functions and so on, but its effect in chicken is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary LST powder supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology and cecal microbiome in Chinese yellow-feathered broilers.Methods: A total of 400 one-day-old yellow-feather broilers were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments: LST0 group (a basal diet), LST1 group (a basal diet with 1% LST powder), LST2 group (a basal diet with 2% LST powder), LST4 group (a basal diet with 4% LST powder), ten replicates for each treatment and 10 broilers in each treatment group. Results: Results indicated that the average daily feed intake of broilers during 22-42d and the average daily gain of chickens over all periods were significantly increased by dietary supplementation of LST powder compared to a control group, while the feed conversion ratio during the overall periods was markedly decreased. The levels of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in serum, liver and breast muscle were also significantly increased in LST supplemented groups, while ROS and MDA in serum, liver and breast muscle were decreased. Furthermore, the levels of TG and LDL-C were significantly decreased by the addition of dietary LST powder, while levels of HDL-C, Ca, Fe, Mg and P were linearly increased. Regarding the gut morphometric, crypt depth was significantly decreased by LST supplementation, while villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth were notably increased. Sequencing of 16S rRNA from the cecal contents of broilers revealed that the composition of the chicken gut microbiota was altered by LST supplementation. Moreover, the diversity of microbiota in broilers was increased in the LST1 groups but was decreased in the LST2 and LST4 groups compared with LST0 groups. The differential genera enriched in LST1 groups, such as Bacillus, Odoribacter, Sutterella, Anaerofilum, Peptococcus, were closely related to the increased growth performance, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, Ca, Mg and reduced blood lipid in the treated broilers. Conclusions: The supplementation of LST powder to the diets of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers improved growth performance, lipid profile, antioxidant indices, intestinal morphology and gut microbiota balance, with its optimum level in yellow-feathered broilers’ diet being 1%.

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Dietary Supplementation With Didancao (Elephantopus scaber L.) Improves Meat Quality and Intestinal Development in Jiaji Ducks

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2021.753546 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Chengjun Hu ◽

Lihong Gu ◽

Mao Li ◽

Fengjie Ji ◽

Weiping Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Intestinal Development ◽

Microbiota Composition ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Elephantopus Scaber

Didancao (Elephantopus scaber L.) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine and has exhibited a beneficial role in animal health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with E. scaber on growth performance, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and microbiota composition in ducks. A total of 480 Jiaji ducks (42 days old, male:female ratio = 1:1) were randomly assigned to one of four treatments. There were six replicates per treatment, with 20 ducks per replicate. The ducks in the control group (Con) were fed a basal diet; the three experimental groups were fed a basal diet supplementation with 30 (T1), 80 (T2), and 130 mg/kg (T3) of E. scaber. After a 48-day period of supplementation, growth performance, meat quality, intestinal morphology, and microbiota composition were evaluated. The results showed that no differences were observed in the final body weight, average daily feed intake, and average daily gain among the four groups. Compared with that in the Con group, the feed conversion in the T1 and T2 groups was increased significantly; the T2 group was shown to decrease the concentration of alanine aminotransferase in serum; the T3 group was lower than the Con group in the concentration of aspartate aminotransferase and was higher than the Con group in the concentration of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. The highest concentration of creatinine was observed in the T1 group. The T2 group was higher than the Con group in the contents of Phe, Ala, Gly, Glu, Arg, Lys, Tyr, Leu, Ser, Thr, Asp, and total amino acids in the breast muscle. Moreover, the T2 group was higher than the Con group in the contents of meat C18:2n−6 and polyunsaturated fatty acid. The concentration of inosinic acid in the T1, T2, and T3 groups was significantly higher than that in the Con group. However, the Con group was higher than the T2 or T3 group in the Zn content. The T2 group was lower than the Con group in the jejunal crypt depth. The T3 group was higher than the Con group in the ileal villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth. In addition, the T3 group had a trend to significantly increase the abundance of Fusobacteria. Compared with the Con group, the T1 and T2 groups displayed a higher abundance of Subdoligranulum. Collectively, dietary supplementation with 80 mg/kg of E. scaber improves meat quality and intestinal development in ducks.

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Dietary Supplementation With Bacillus subtilis Promotes Growth and Gut Health of Weaned Piglets

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2020.600772 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Zhilong Tian ◽

Xiaodan Wang ◽

Yehui Duan ◽

Yue Zhao ◽

Wenming Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Control Group ◽

Gut Health ◽

Weaned Piglets ◽

Villus Height ◽

Expression Of Genes ◽

Group A

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different types of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) on the growth and gut health of weaned piglets. A total of 160 piglets were randomly assigned into four groups: control group (a basal diet), BS-A group (a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis A at 1 × 106 CFU/g feed), BS-B group (a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis B at 1 × 106 CFU/g feed), and BS-C group (a basal diet supplemented with B. subtilis C at 1 × 106 CFU/g feed). All groups had five replicates with eight piglets per replicate. On days 7, 21, and 42 of the trial, blood plasma and intestinal tissues and digesta samples were collected to determine plasma cytokine concentrations, intestinal morphology, gut microbiota community and metabolic activity, and the expression of genes related to gut physiology and metabolism. The results showed that dietary B. subtilis supplementation improved (P < 0.05) the body weight and average daily gain (in BS-B and BS-C groups) of weaned piglets and decreased (P < 0.05) the diarrhea rates (in BS-A, BS-B, and BS-C groups). In the intestinal morphology analysis, B. subtilis supplementation improved (P < 0.05) the size of villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the ileum of weaned piglets. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Tenericutes were the most dominant microflora in piglets' colon whatever the trial group and time of analysis. Dietary BS-C supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundances of Anaerovibrio and Bulleidia and decreased (P < 0.05) the relative abundances of Clostridium and Coprococcus compared with the control group. In addition, dietary B. subtilis supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the indicators of intestinal health, including plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-10, as well as the colonic levels of short-chain fatty acids. Furthermore, dietary B. subtilis supplementation also up-regulated (P < 0.05) the expression of genes involved in metabolic pathways related to intestinal microbiota maturation. In conclusion, these findings suggest that a diet containing BS-B or BS-C can efficiently promote growth performance, decrease diarrhea incidence, and ameliorate several indicators of intestinal health through the modulation of gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity in weaned piglets.

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Intestinal Morphology in Broiler Chickens Supplemented with Propolis and Bee Pollen

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9060301 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 301 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ivana Prakatur ◽

Maja Miskulin ◽

Mirela Pavic ◽

Ksenija Marjanovic ◽

Valerija Blazicevic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Beneficial Effect ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Control Group ◽

Villus Height ◽

Bee Pollen ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Surface Areas

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen on the intestinal morphology and absorptive surface areas of chickens. Two hundred day-old Ross 308 chickens (100 male and 100 female) were equally allocated into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed with a basal diet, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the same diet supplemented with propolis and bee pollen: P1 = 0.25 g of propolis/kg + 20 g of bee pollen/kg; P2 = 0.5 g of propolis/kg; P3 = 1.0 g of propolis/kg; P4 = 20 g of bee pollen/kg. The duodenal villi of chickens from all experimental groups were significantly higher and wider (p < 0.001), while their duodenal villi crypts were significantly deeper (p < 0.001) in comparison with these parameters in chickens from the control group. The villus height to crypt depth ratio, as well as the absorptive surface areas of broiler chickens, were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in experimental groups of chickens in comparison with the control group. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen has a beneficial effect on broilers chickens’ intestinal morphophysiology.

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Effects of Dietary Ginsenoside Rg1 Supplementation on Growth Performance, Gut Health, and Serum Immunity in Broiler Chickens

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.705279 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Zehe Song ◽

Kaihuan Xie ◽

Yunlu Zhang ◽

Qian Xie ◽

Xi He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Ginsenoside Rg1 ◽

Gut Health ◽

Villus Height ◽

Final Body Weight ◽

Crypt Depth

The restriction and banning of antibiotics in farm animal feed has led to a search for promising substitutes for antibiotics to promote growth and maintain health for livestock and poultry. Ginsenoside Rg1, which is one of the most effective bioactive components in ginseng, has been reported to have great potential to improve the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative status of animals. In this study, 360 Chinese indigenous broiler chickens with close initial body weight were divided into 5 groups. Each group contained 6 replicates and each replicate had 12 birds. The experimental groups were: the control group, fed with the basal diet; the antibiotic group, fed basal diet + 300 mg/kg 15% chlortetracycline; and three Rg1 supplementation groups, fed with basal diet + 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg ginsenoside Rg1, respectively. The growth performance, immune function, and intestinal health of birds were examined at early (day 1–28) and late (day 29–51) stages. Our results showed that dietary supplementation of 300 mg/kg ginsenoside Rg1 significantly improved the growth performance for broilers, particularly at the late stage, including an increase in final body weight and decrease of feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). Additionally, the integrity of intestinal morphology (Villus height, Crypt depth, and Villus height/Crypt depth) and tight junction (ZO-1 and Occludin), and the secretion of sIgA in the intestine were enhanced by the supplementation of Rg1 in chicken diet (P < 0.05). The immune organ index showed that the weight of the thymus, spleen, and bursa was significantly increased at the early stage in ginsenoside Rg1 supplementation groups (P < 0.05). Our findings might demonstrate that ginsenoside Rg1 could serve as a promising antibiotic alternative to improve the growth performance and gut health for broiler chickens mainly through its amelioration of inflammatory and oxidative activities.

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Effects of Rhamnolipids on Growth Performance, Immune Function, and Cecal Microflora in Linnan Yellow Broilers Challenged with Lipopolysaccharides

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10080905 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 905

Author(s):

Haoran Zhang ◽

Xiaorong Yu ◽

Qing Li ◽

Guangtian Cao ◽

Jie Feng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Function ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Normal Saline ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Fatty Acid Content ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Immunological Stress

This present study aimed to investigate the effects of rhamnolipids (RLS) on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, immune function, short-chain fatty acid content, and microflora community in broiler chickens challenged with lipopolysaccharides (LPS). A total of 450 broiler chickens were randomly allocated into three groups: basal diet with no supplement (NCO), basal diet with bacitracin (ANT), and basal diet with rhamnolipids (RLS). After 56 d of feeding, 20 healthy broilers were selected from each group, with half being intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the other half with normal saline. Treatments with LPS were labelled LPS-NCO, LPS-ANT, and LPS-RLS, whereas treatments with normal saline were labelled NS-NCO, NS-ANT, and NS-RLS. LPS-challenged birds had lower jejunal villus height and higher crypt depth than unchallenged birds. LPS-RLS broilers had increased jejunal villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio (V/C) but lower crypt depth than LPS-NCO. Dietary supplementation with RLS reduced the LPS-induced immunological stress. Compared with LPS-NCO, birds in LPS-RLS had lower concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. In LPS-challenged broilers, RLS and ANT increased the concentrations of IgA, IgM, and IgY compared with LPS-NCO. In LPS treatments, RLS enhanced the contents of acetic acid, butyrate, isobutyric acid, isovalerate, and valerate more than LPS-NCO birds. High-throughput sequencing indicated that RLS supplementation led to changes in the cecal microbial community of broilers. At the species level, Clostridium-sp-Marseille-p3244 and Slakia_eqcsolifaciens were more abundant in NS-RLS than in NS-NCO broilers. In summary, RLS improved the growth performance and relative abundance of cecal microbiota and reduced the LPS-induced immunological stress in broiler chickens.

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Dietary Chitooligosaccharide Inclusion as an Alternative to Antibiotics Improves Intestinal Morphology, Barrier Function, Antioxidant Capacity, and Immunity of Broilers at Early Age

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani9080493 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 493 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jun Li ◽

Yefei Cheng ◽

Yueping Chen ◽

Hengman Qu ◽

Yurui Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Capacity ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Barrier Function ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Immunoglobulin M ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Control Group ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Antibiotic Group

This study aimed to investigate the effects of chitooligosaccharide (COS) inclusion as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance, intestinal morphology, barrier function, antioxidant capacity, and immunity in broilers. In total, 144 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned into 3 groups and fed a basal diet free from antibiotics (control group) or the same basal diet further supplemented with either chlortetracycline (antibiotic group) or COS, for 21 days. Compared with the control group, inclusion of COS reduced the feed to gain ratio, the jejunal crypt depth, the plasma diamine oxidase activity, and the endotoxin concentration, as well as jejunal and ileal malondialdehyde contents, whereas increased duodenal villus height, duodenal and jejunal ratio of villus height to crypt depth, intestinal immunoglobulin G, and jejunal immunoglobulin M (IgM) contents were observed, with the values of these parameters being similar or better to that of the antibiotic group. Additionally, supplementation with COS enhanced the superoxide dismutase activity and IgM content of the duodenum and up-regulated the mRNA level of claudin three in the jejunum and ileum, when compared with the control and antibiotic groups. In conclusion, dietary COS inclusion (30 mg/kg), as an alternative to antibiotics, exerts beneficial effects on growth performance, intestinal morphology, barrier function, antioxidant capacity, and immunity in broilers.

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Mitigation Effects of Bentonite and Yeast Cell Wall Binders on AFB1, DON, and OTA Induced Changes in Laying Hen Performance, Egg Quality, and Health

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13020156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 156

Author(s):

Ling Zhao ◽

Yue Feng ◽

Jing-Tao Wei ◽

Meng-Xiang Zhu ◽

Lei Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Laying Hens ◽

Egg Quality ◽

Dietary Supplementation ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Liver Weight ◽

Laying Hen ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Induced Changes

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of mycotoxin binders in reducing the adverse effects of co-occurring dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA) on laying hens. Three hundred and sixty 26-week-old Roman laying hens were randomly allocated into four experimental groups with 10 replicates of nine birds each. The four groups received either a basal diet (BD; Control), a BD supplemented with 0.15 mg/kg AFB1 + 1.5 mg/kg DON + 0.12 mg/kg OTA (Toxins), a BD + Toxins with Toxo-HP binder (Toxins + HP), or a BD + Toxins with TOXO XL binder (Toxins + XL) for 12 weeks. Compared to the control, dietary supplementation of mycotoxins decreased (P < 0.10) total feed intake, total egg weight, and egg-laying rate, but increased feed/egg ratio by 2.5–6.1% and mortality during various experimental periods. These alterations induced by mycotoxins were alleviated by supplementation with both TOXO HP and XL binders (P < 0.10). Furthermore, dietary mycotoxins reduced (P < 0.05) eggshell strength by 12.3% and caused an accumulation of 249 μg/kg of DON in eggs at week 12, while dietary supplementation with TOXO HP or XL mitigated DON-induced changes on eggshell strength and prevented accumulation of DON in eggs (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary mycotoxins increased relative liver weight, but decreased spleen and proventriculus relative weights by 11.6–22.4% (P < 0.05). Mycotoxin exposure also increased alanine aminotransferase activity and reduced immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgM, and IgG concentrations in serum by 9.2–26.1% (P < 0.05). Additionally, mycotoxin exposure induced histopathological damage and reduced villus height, villus height/crypt depth, and crypt depth in duodenum, jejunum and (or) ileum (P < 0.05). Notably, most of these histological changes were mitigated by supplementation with both TOXO HP and XL (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the mycotoxin binders TOXO HP and XL can help to mitigate the combined effects of AFB1, DON, and OTA on laying hen performance, egg quality, and health.

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Effects of Dietary β-Mannanase Supplementation on Growth Performance, Apparent Total Tract Digestibility, Intestinal Integrity, and Immune Responses in Weaning Pigs

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10040703 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 703

Author(s):

Jae-Cheol Jang ◽

Kwang Kim ◽

Young Jang ◽

Yoo Kim

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Body Weight ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Intestinal Integrity ◽

Weaning Pigs ◽

Dietary Treatments ◽

And Oxidative Stress

The experiment aimed to investigate the effects of dietary β-mannanase supplementation on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, intestinal integrity, and the immunological and oxidative stress parameters in weaning pigs. A total of 64 newly weaning pigs (initial body weight: 6.96 ± 0.70 kg) were allotted to two dietary treatments in eight replicates per treatment with four pigs per pen based on body weight and sex. Dietary treatments were 1.) CON (control: corn-soybean meal based basal diet) and 2.) β-mannanase (basal diet +0.06% β-mannanase). The β-mannanase supplementation did not affect growth performance, concentrations of acute phase protein, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. However, the pigs fed the β-mannanase-supplemented diet had greater ATTD of ether extract, jejunum villus height, and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and lower crypt depth compared with those fed the CON diet (p < 0.05). The pigs fed the β-mannanase-supplemented diet tended to have the lower count of E. coli in cecum than those fed the CON diet (p = 0.08). In conclusion, dietary β-mannanase supplementation did not affect growth performance, immune response and oxidative stress of weaning pigs, whereas it increased fat digestibility and had positive effects on intestinal integrity and cecum microflora by reducing the count of E.coli.

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Dietary Enteromorpha Polysaccharide Enhances Intestinal Immune Response, Integrity, and Caecal Microbial Activity of Broiler Chickens

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.783819 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Teketay Wassie ◽

Zhuang Lu ◽

Xinyi Duan ◽

Chunyan Xie ◽

Kefyalew Gebeyew ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Marine Algae ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Control Group ◽

Villus Height ◽

Crypt Depth ◽

Caecal Microbiota

Marine algae polysaccharides have been shown to regulate various biological activities, such as immune modulation, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and hypolipidemic. However, litter is known about the interaction of these polysaccharides with the gut microbiota. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of marine algae Enteromorpha (Ulva) prolifera polysaccharide (EP) supplementation on growth performance, immune response, and caecal microbiota of broiler chickens. A total of 200 1-day-old Ross-308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into two treatment groups with ten replications of ten chickens in each replication. The dietary treatments consisted of the control group (fed basal diet), and EP group (received diet supplemented with 400 mg EP/kg diet). Results showed that chickens fed EP exhibited significantly higher (P < 0.05) body weight and average daily gain than the chicken-fed basal diet. In addition, significantly longer villus height, shorter crypt depth, and higher villus height to crypt depth ratio were observed in the jejunal and ileal tissues of chickens fed EP. EP supplementation upregulated the mRNA expression of NF-κB, TLR4, MyD88, IL-2, IFN-α, and IL-1β in the ileal and jejunal tissues (P < 0.05). Besides, we observed significantly higher (P < 0.05) short-chain volatile fatty acids (SCFAs) levels in the caecal contents of the EP group than in the control group. Furthermore, 16S-rRNA analysis revealed that EP supplementation altered gut microbiota and caused an abundance shift at the phylum and genus level in broiler chicken. Interestingly, we observed an association between microbiota and SCFAs production. Overall, this study demonstrated that supplementation of diet with EP promotes growth performance, improves intestinal immune response and integrity, and modulates the caecal microbiota of broiler chickens. This study highlighted the application of marine algae polysaccharides as an antibiotic alternative for chickens. Furthermore, it provides insight to develop marine algae polysaccharide-based functional food and therapeutic agent.

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