Impact of a blend of microencapsulated organic acids and botanicals on the microbiome of commercial broiler breeders under clinical necrotic enteritis

Authors: DITTOE, DANA - University Of Wisconsin; Johnson, Casey; Byrd Ii, James - Allen; RICKE, STEVEN - University Of Wisconsin; PIVA, ANDREA - University Of Bologna; GRILLI, ESTER - University Of Bologna; Swaggerty, Christina - Christi

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/9/2023
Publication Date: 5/12/2023
Citation: Dittoe, D., Johnson, C.N., Byrd II, J.A., Ricke, S.C., Piva, A., Grilli, E., Swaggerty, C.L. 2023. Impact of a blend of microencapsulated organic acids and botanicals on the microbiome of commercial broiler breeders under clinical necrotic enteritis. Animals. 13(10). Article 1627. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101627.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101627

Interpretive Summary: Recently, we showed dietary supplementation with a blend of natural compounds improved bird health and performance of chickens. Further studies were conducted in chickens to determine the effect the dietary blend had on limiting gut damage under a disease challenge. At hatch, baby chicks were assigned to non-challenge and challenge groups and placed into separate pens. All chicks were fed the same base diet, but the supplemented diet contained the blend of natural compounds. When the chicks were 14 days old, they were given a vaccine and at 17-19 days of age they were challenged with bacteria that produces necrotic enteritis and allows us to monitor gut changes between the two groups. At 20-21 days of age, the chickens were sacrificed, and the gut content collected so we could determine the types and numbers of good and bad bacteria ("the microbiome"). The data were analyzed using specific computer programs capable of detecting and differentiating the types of bacteria in the samples. We measured two types of diversity (alpha and beta), core microbiome, and compositional differences determined with significance at P 0.05. There was no difference between richness and evenness of those fed control and supplemented diets, but differences were seen between the non-challenged and challenged groups. Beta diversity of samples from control and supplemented diets were different between the non-challenged groups but there were no differences between the challenged groups. The core microbiome of those fed the supplemented diet similarly consisted of Lactobacillus and Clostridiaceae. Challenged birds fed the supplement had a higher abundance of significant different groups of good bacteria including Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Verrucomicrobiota, then control fed challenged group. This work established that supplementation with the blend of natural compounds shifted the microbiome by supporting beneficial bacteria.

Technical Abstract: Recently, supplementation of a microencapsulated blend of organic acids (25% citric; 16.7% sorbic) and botanicals (1.7% thymol; 1% vanillin), AviPlus® P (Vetagro S.p.A., Reggio Emilia, Italy), has demonstrated improved broiler health and performance under non-challenged conditions. In continuation of those efforts, the objective was to determine the effect of the microencapsulated blend on mitigating dysbiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) among broiler chickens. On day of hatch, male broiler chicks were assigned to non-challenge and challenge groups and placed into floor pens. A basal diet supplemented with 0 or 500 g/MT of the microencapsulated blend and water were supplied ad libitum. On d 14, challenge groups were given a 2 coccidiosis vaccine and on d 17-19 administered four Clostridium perfringens strains (107 CFU/mL). On d 20-21, the jejunum/ileum were collected for microbiome sequencing (n = 10; V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene) on an Illumina MiSeq. The experiment was repeated three independent times with data analyzed in QIIME2 and R. Alpha and beta diversity, core microbiome, and compositional differences determined with significance set at a P and Q 0.05. There was no difference between the richness and evenness of those fed diets containing 0 and 500 g/MT microencapsulated blends, but differences were seen between the non-challenged and challenged groups. Beta diversity of the 0 and 500 g/MT non-challenged groups were different but there were no differences between the NE challenged groups. The core microbiome of those fed diets containing 500 g/MT similarly consisted of Lactobacillus and Clostridiaceae. As well, challenged birds fed diets containing 500 g/MT of the microencapsulated blend had a higher abundance of significant different phyla, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Verrucomicrobiota, then the 0 g/MT challenged group. In conclusion, the supplementation of a microencapsulated blend shifted the microbiome by supporting beneficial and core taxa; however, due to the clinical NE, these shifts were not drastic in nature.