The Efficiency of Probiotics Administrated via Different Routes and Doses in Enhancing Production Performance, Meat Quality, Gut Morphology, and Microbial Profile of Broiler Chickens

Abstract

To study the efficiency of Bacillus spp. probiotics administered via different routes and doses, a 6-week grow-out trial was conducted using a total of 378 day-old mixed-sex ROSS308 broiler chickens in a completely randomized block design. Six experimental diets included probiotics added at two different inclusion rates into the feed (250 g/ton; PRO250, or 500 g/ton; PRO500), or in the drinking water (25 g/L; PRO-WS), or as a feed synbiotic (250 g probiotic + 250 g/ton prebiotic; SYN), compared to a negative (NC; without additives) and positive control (PC; with antibiotics) diets. The PRO-WS enhanced feed intake (p < 0.05) and tended to improve average daily gain and final body weight (p = 0.14). Broiler gut morphology in the duodenum including the villus height (p = 0.04), villus width (p = 0.05) and crypt depth (p = 0.02) were improved by PRO500. Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, followed by Bacteroidetes. Streptococcaceae, Lachnoospiraceae, Peptostreptococcaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Erysipe-lotrichaceae were the top five most abundant families. Antibiotic inclusion in PC reduced microbial beta-diversity and increased similarity compared to probiotic inclusion (p = 0.05). Probiotic inclusion reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroides fragilis, which is a commonly isolated pathogen and is considered as a marker for antimicrobial resistance. Overall, probiotic supplementation via feed or water may potentially improve the production performance of the broiler chickens, and water-soluble probiotics are potentially more effective. Probiotics, especially when added to water, suggest a promising feed additive to support gut microbial maturation and diversity, and may reduce resistant bacteria in broiler chickens. However, it is suggested that the best route for the administration of probiotics be further examined under commercial conditions to find the most effective and practical application method that yields the most consistent results.

Effects of Bacillus subtilis and coccidiosis vaccine on growth indices and intestinal microbiota of broilers

“…Furthermore, Elham et al found that broiler chickens fed probiotic Bacillus spp . also reduced the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae species GCA900066225 in the intestine ( Soumeh et al, 2021 ). Some studies also found that the relative abundance of Alistipes and Ruminococcaceae decreased when chickens supplemented Lactobacillus ( Baldwin et al, 2018 ).…”

Metagenomic analysis of non-pathogenic and pathogenic cecal bacteria profiles in quail supplemented with betaine

“…Based on Valentine et al [11] and Guo et al [12], the genus Collinsella and Coriobacteriaceae UCG-002 are among the microbes that play a role in the utilization of nutrients (Table 3). The high composition of beneficial microbes can suppress pathogenic microbes [5,9]. Ramasamy et al [29] state that the genus Olsenella is a pathogen that can cause several infections and interfere with digestion (Table 3).…”

“…Fluctuating ambient temperature in the tropical environment causes poultry to express heat stress conditions. [5][6][7]. The high environmental temperature triggers poultry to excrete many fluids to maintain their homeostasis, resulting in unstable digestive tract cell pressure conditions [2].…”

“…The availability of SCFA has increased feed efficiency in poultry [9,13]. The gut microbial profiles have negative feedback between non-pathogenic and pathogenic bacteria [5,9]. The Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) method of 16S rRNA region V3-V4 has been able to identify the gut microbial profiles in animals and humans [14].…”

Effects of adding nano-emulsified plant oil and probiotics to drinking water during different periods besides sex on processing characteristics, physicochemical properties, and meat quality traits of broiler chickens

“…Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) have been used in the poultry production industry for decades, resulting in a high risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria being transferred to humans. It is difficult to raise broiler chickens in an antibiotic-free production system, and finding an effective nutritional alternative to support growth performance, gut health, and functionality without using AGPs is critical ( 15 ). Several non-antibiotic growth promoters are commercially available to improve bird growth, control pathogens, and reduce the risks of antibiotic resistance and misuse ( 16 , 17 ).…”