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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #340429
Research Project: Non-antibiotic Strategies to Control Enteric Diseases of Poultry

Location: Animal Biosciences & Biotechnology Laboratory

Title: The effect of direct-fed microbial supplementation, as an alternative to antibiotics, on growth performance, intestinal immune status and epithelial barrier protein expression in broiler chickens

Author
item OH, SUNG - Konkuk University
item GADDE, UHJVALA - Orise Fellow
item LEE, YOUNG - Gangneung-Wonju National University
item DAVIS, ELLEN - Agro Sciences, Llc
item ZIMMERMAN, NOAH - Agro Sciences, Llc
item REHBERGET, TOM - Agro Sciences, Llc
item Lillehoj, Hyun

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis-based probiotic supplementation in broiler chicken diets on growth performance, feed efficiency, intestinal cytokine and tight junction (TJ) protein mRNA expression. Day-old broiler chicks (n = 140) were randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments: basal diet (CON), basal diet supplemented with antibiotic (BMD) or probiotics, namely B. subtilis strain 1781 (PB1), a combination of B. subtilis strain 1104+strain 747 (PB2) or B. subtilis strain 1781+strain 747 (PB3). Body weight and feed intake were measured at 14 days of age, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. At 14 days of age, ileal samples were collected and used for intestinal cytokine, TJ protein and mucin gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR. The chickens supplemented with antibiotic (BMD) and B. subtilis strain 1781 alone (PB1) had significantly higher body weights compared to controls of the same age. Dietary supplementation with antibiotic (BMD) or probiotics (PB1, PB2, PB3) significantly improved the feed efficiency as evidenced by decreased FCR compared to controls. No differences were observed in the expression of IL1ß, IL17F, IFN' and MUC2 gene among the different treatment groups. However, elevated expression of IL6 (BMD, PB1, PB2), IL8 (PB2) and TNFSF15 (PB1, PB2, PB3) compared to controls was observed in the ileum. IL2 and IL10 expression was upregulated in chicks in the PB2 and PB3 groups, and IL4 was elevated in the PB1 group. IL13 was elevated in all probiotic-fed groups (PB1, PB2, PB3). Probiotic supplementation was also shown to significantly increase the expression of TJ proteins JAM2, ZO1 (PB2, PB3) and occludin (PB1, PB2). Taken together, B. subtilis supplementation altered intestinal immune activity and influenced gut barrier integrity through increased expression of TJ proteins.