Sodium butyrate in chicken nutrition: the dynamics of performance, gut microbiota, gut morphology, and immunity

Abstract

The effect of sodium butyrate on various bodily parameters of broilers such as performance, gut microflora, gut morphology, and immunity is reviewed in order to highlight its importance as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Sodium butyrate is used as a source of butyric acid, which is known for its beneficial effects in the gut in monogastrics. Sodium butyrate is available in uncoated and entericcoated forms protected with fat or fatty acid salts. Varying results in productive performance, gut microbes, and gut morphology have been reported in the literature in response to supplementation of broiler diets with uncoated and fatcoated types of sodium butyrate. However, sodium butyrate has shown pronounced effects on immunity of chickens that are not fully understood yet. Although there are contrasting results of sodium butyrate in chicken, further research is needed using the sodium butyrate coated with the salts of fatty acids.

Effects of dietary sodium butyrate on growth, diet conversion, body chemical compositions and distal intestinal health in yellow drum ( Nibea albiflora , Richardson)

“…Sodium butyrate could directly exert anti‐inflammatory effects by suppressing the transmigration (Segain et al., ) and binding activity of NFκB (Wen, Lu, & Zou, ). Dietary administered sodium butyrate (SB) can be converted to butyrate in the intestine (Ahsan et al, ). In freshwater fish, the supplementation of SB in high‐SBM diets enhanced the intestine physical barrier function referring to tight junction complexes (TJs), such as claudin, occludin and tight junction protein ZO1 (Xu et al, ), which are modulated by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) pathways (Shen et al, ).…”

Effect of dietary supplementation of calcium butyrate on growth performance, carcass traits, intestinal health and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in Japanese quails

“…Gut health has extensively been studied, as the gut is considered the main site where nutrient absorption occurs (Rinttilä & Apajalahti, 2013). Impaired gut health could markedly affect the digestion, and absorption of nutrients that consequently impact the overall health, and performance of poultry (Ahsan et al, 2016). It is well known that the intestinal tract is susceptible to a majority of pathogens (Yegani & Korver, 2008).…”

“…Butyric acid is one of SCFA, which has a higher bactericidal activity (Leeson, Namkung, Antongiovanni, & Lee, 2005). Ahsan et al (2016) reported that butyric acid belongs to the class of carboxylic acids consisting of a four carbon atoms chain, thus named as butanoic acid. The hydrogen ion of hydroxyl group is weakly bonded and replaceable.…”

“…Calcium butyrate is considered a source of energy for the enterocytes; thus, it results in a better development of the intestinal villi. Calcium butyrate is known for decreasing the gut mucosal pH that creates an acidic environment for the growth of normal commensals (Ahsan et al, 2016;Leeson et al, 2005).…”

Supplementation of Protected Sodium Butyrate Alone or in Combination With Essential Oils Modulated the Cecal Microbiota of Broiler Chickens Challenged With Coccidia and Clostridium perfringens

“…We recently showed that dietary supplementation of chickens with a protected source of sodium butyrate (SB) modulated the diversity, composition, and predictive function of the cecal microbiota (Bortoluzzi et al, 2017). Indeed, SB may directly modulate the intestinal microbiota, through its bactericidal effect, or indirectly by stimulating the growth of beneficial lactic acid bacteria (Ahsan et al, 2016). Additionally, essential oils (EO) obtained from plant materials are known to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties (Brenes and Roura, 2010).…”