Effects of faecal microbiota transplantation on the growth performance, intestinal microbiota, jejunum morphology and immune function of laying-type chicks

Abstract

Context Recent studies have indicated that the early stage of growth is a critical window for intestinal microbiota manipulation to optimise the immunity and body growth. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is often used to regulate intestinal microbiota colonisation. Aims The aim of this study was to explore the effect of FMT on the growth performance, intestinal microbiota, jejunum morphology and immune function of newly hatched laying-type chicks. Methods The chicks (Hy-line Brown) were randomly divided into the control group (CON) and FMT group (FMT), which were treated with sterile saline and faecal microbiota suspension of Hy-line Brown breeder hens on Days 1, 3 and 5 respectively. For each group, there were five replications of 12 birds each for 4 weeks. This study investigated the body weight, tibia length, intestinal microflora, jejunum morphology and immune indexes of the chicks. Key results The results showed that the body weight and tibia length of birds in the FMT group were significantly increased at 7, 14 and 21 days of age (P < 0.01). Furthermore, we found that FMT altered the intestinal microbiota community of the birds and improved the richness, evenness, diversity and stability of their intestinal microbiota (P < 0.05). The faecal microbiota of the donor hens and birds that received the transplantation were very similar. The villus height and the ratio of the villus to crypt of the birds in the FMT group were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than those in the control group. In addition, Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that the villus height of the FMT group showed positive correlation with Bacteroides (P < 0.05), and the villus height and the ratio of the villus to crypt in the FMT group showed positive correlations with Megasphaera (P < 0.05). The birds in the FMT group had no significant difference in intestinal length, immune organ indexes, serum β-defensin and IgA concentrations. Conclusions In summary, FMT can promote the early growth performance and jejunum morphology of laying-type chicks and improve the intestinal microbiota. FMT has no significant effect on the immune function of chicks. Implications FMT may be a potential method to improve the health of chicks to enhance the poultry industry.

Colonization of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Chicks with Different Bacterial Microbiota Profiles

“…Fu et al showed phenotypic changes still present up to 16 weeks of age in laying hens after FMT administration during the first five weeks of life [ 49 ]. Yu et al showed persistency of a transplanted microbiota from an adult donor through three weeks of life when administrated to newly hatched laying hens on days 1, 3, and 5 [ 50 ]. Similarly, the microbiota transferred in the present study persisted for six weeks after being administered only once on day one of life.…”

“…It has been suggested that the microbial composition of the intestinal microbiota influences poultry performance [ 54 ], likely due to some bacterial species having the capacity to improve feed conversion, at least in part, by increasing the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) [ 55 , 56 ]. Microbial transplantation in chickens has been attempted to promote growth performance, with inconsistent results [ 47 , 49 , 50 ]. The present study expected that colonization with a highly diverse microbiota containing lactic acid bacteria (i.e., Lactobacillu s spp.)…”

“…Different microbiota profiles can be associated with varying degrees of inflammation in various species, including chickens [ 54 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Interestingly, it has been shown that microbiota transplantation can positively impact intestinal morphology, increasing the intestinal villi height and villus height/crypt depth ratio [ 49 , 50 ]. The early-life increase in IL-4 mRNA expression in the Conventional group is challenging to interpret, as IL-4 can mediate macrophage and lymphocyte activation, leading to a state of inflammation that could affect intestinal immune function and maturation [ 65 ].…”

“…A delicate balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes is required in order to allow for an adequate immune response to pathogens and protect the animal from excessive inflammation. Microbiota transplantation has been used to promote intestinal immunity, maturation, and growth performance [ 48 , 50 ]. However, further studies involving pathogen challenges are required in order to investigate the protective potential of microbiota profiles originating from wild birds or organically raised chickens.…”

Effects of Microorganisms on Growth Performance, Body Composition, Digestive Enzyme Activity, Intestinal Bacteria Flora and Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) Content of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens)

“…This study determined the growth performance and body composition of H. illucens-fed diets containing different strains. Adding microorganisms to feeds can promote animal growth and development [35][36][37]. Lee et al [38] reported that adding B. subtilis to feed improved growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaned piglets.…”