Clostridium butyricum
is an important probiotic for chickens and exerts
various biological activities, including altering the composition of the intestinal
microbiota, competing with other microorganisms for nutrients, improving the integrity of
the intestinal mucosal system, changing the intestinal barrier, and improving overall host
health. Intestinal microbes also play vital roles in maintaining the intestinal barrier,
regulating intestinal health, and promoting chicken growth. During chicken production,
chickens are vulnerable to various stressors that have detrimental effects on the
intestinal barrier with significant economic consequences.
C. butyricum
is a known probiotic that promotes intestinal health and produces the short-chain fatty
acid butyric acid, which is beneficial for the growth performance of chickens. This review
elucidates the development and utilization of
C. butyricum
to improve
intestinal barrier function and growth performance in chickens through its probiotic
properties and interactions with intestinal microbes.