Short-chain arabinoxylans prepared from enzymatically treated wheat grain exert prebiotic effects during the broiler starter period

Abstract

Carbohydrate-degrading multi-enzyme preparations (MEP) are used to improve broiler performances. Their mode of action is complex and not fully understood. In this study, we compared the effect of water-soluble fractions isolated at the pilot scale from wheat grain incubated with (WE) and without (WC) MEP. The fractions were incorporated in a wheat-based diet (0.1% w/w) to feed Ross PM3 broilers and compared with a non-supplemented control group (NC). The body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) until d 14 were determined. At d 14, ileal and cecal contents and tissue samples were collected from euthanized animals. The intestinal contents were used to measure the short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentration using gas chromatography and to determine the abundance and composition of microbiota using 16S sequencing. Villi length of ileal samples was measured, while L-cell and T-cell densities were determined using immuno-histochemistry. The MEP treatment increased the amount of water-soluble arabinoxylans (AX) and reduced their molecular weight while retaining their polymer behavior. The WE fraction significantly (P < 0.05) increased FI by 13.8% and BWG by 14.7% during the first wk post hatch when compared to NC. No significant effect on FCR was recorded during the trial. The WE increased the abundance of Enterococcus durans and Candidatus arthromitus in the ileum and of bacteria within the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families, containing abundant butyrate-producing bacteria, in the ceca. It also increased the concentration of SCFA in the ceca, decreased the T-lymphocyte infiltration in the intestinal mucosa, and increased the glucagon-like-peptide-2 (GLP-2)-producing L-cell density in the ileal epithelium compared with WC and NC. No significant effects were observed on villi length. These results showed that AX present in the WE fraction altered the microbiota composition towards butyrate producers in the ceca. Butyrate may be responsible for the reduction of inflammation, as suggested by the decrease in T-lymphocyte infiltration, which may explain the higher feed intake leading to improved animal growth.

Dietary administration of resistant starch improved caecal barrier function by enhancing intestinal morphology and modulating microbiota composition in meat duck

“…In the present study, diets did not affect the predominant phyla in the caecum, which is consistent with previous studies of ducks and chickens that Bacteroidetes and Firmcutes were the two dominant phyla in the caecum, with Bacteroidetes at a higher proportion (37,38) . However, several studies of prebiotics have shown expansion of Firmicutes (39) or higher Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio (40) . It was demonstrated that the abundance of Firmicutes had a strong negative correlation with pathogenic bacterial populations in the intestine (41) .…”

Biomarkers for monitoring intestinal health in poultry: present status and future perspectives

“…It has been shown that enteroendocrine cell density can be influenced by the diet in case of intestinal inflammation in humans [ 31 ]. Similarly, in the chicken, increased enteroendocrine L-cell density in the ileal mucosa was observed in parallel to other positively responding intestinal health parameters in a study using an enzymatically treated wheat extract as a prebiotic [ 32 ].…”

“…In the chicken, total T-lymphocyte counts in the lamina propria mucosae has been evaluated in several studies. It is usually found to parallel villus shortening [ 23 , 32 ].…”

Fast and slow-growing breeds: characterisation of broiler caecal microbiota development throughout the growing period

“…Thus, any alteration in the microbiota balance could lead to an alteration on the health or productivity of the breed. Firmicutes constitutes a heterogeneous phylum containing bacterial groups with different metabolic activities, and several studies have shown that a high level of this phylum is correlated with good intestinal health [18,55]. Conversely, an increment of Proteobacteria is associated with dysbiosis and, consequently, with an increase in the presence of zoonotic bacteria belonging to this phylum, such as Salmonella or Campylobacter.…”