Probiotics and phytobiotics have been studied as in-feed antibiotic alternatives for decades, yet there are no studies on their possible symbiotic effects. In the present study, newly hatched chickens were fed with feeds supplemented either with host-specific Lactobacillus strains (L. agilis and L. salivarius), commercial phytobiotics, or combinations of both. After 13 days of life, crops and caecums were analyzed for bacterial composition (16S rDNA sequencing, qPCR) and activity (bacterial metabolites). Crop and caecum samples were also used to study the ex vivo survival of a broiler-derived extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli strain. In the crop, combinations of probiotics and phytobiotics, but not their single application, increased the dominance of lactobacilli. The single application of phytobiotics reduced the metabolite concentrations in the crop, but certain combinations synergistically upregulated the metabolites. Changes in the qualitative and quantitative composition of the caecal microbiota were less pronounced than in the crop. Acetate concentrations were significantly lower for phytobiotics or the L. agilis probiotic strain compared to the control group, but the L. salivarius probiotic showed significantly higher acetate concentrations alone or in combination with one phytobiotic. The synergistic effects on the reduction of the ex vivo survival of an ESBL producing E. coli strain in crop or caecum contents were also observed for most combinations. This study shows the beneficial synergistic effects of probiotics and phytobiotics on the intestinal bacterial composition and their metabolic activity in young broilers. The reduced survival of potentially problematic bacteria, such as ESBL-producing E. coli further indicates that combinations of probiotics and phytobiotics may lead to a more enhanced functionality than their individual supplementation.

Intestinal mucus plays important roles in protecting the epithelial surfaces against pathogens, supporting the colonization with commensal bacteria, maintaining an appropriate environment for digestion, as well as facilitating nutrient transport from the lumen to the underlying epithelium. The mucus layer in the poultry gut is produced and preserved by mucin-secreting goblet cells that rapidly develop and mature after hatch as a response to external stimuli including environmental factors, intestinal microbiota as well as dietary factors. The ontogenetic development of goblet cells affects the mucin composition and secretion, causing an alteration in the physicochemical properties of the mucus layer. The intestinal mucus prevents the invasion of pathogens to the epithelium by its antibacterial properties (e.g. β-defensin, lysozyme, avidin and IgA) and creates a physical barrier with the ability to protect the epithelium from pathogens. Mucosal barrier is the first line of innate defense in the gastrointestinal tract. This barrier has a selective permeability that allows small particles and nutrients passing through. The structural components and functional properties of mucins have been reviewed extensively in humans and rodents, but it seems to be neglected in poultry. This review discusses the impact of age on development of goblet cells and their mucus production with relevance for the functional characteristics of mucus layer and its protective mechanism in the chicken’s intestine. Dietary factors directly and indirectly (through modification of the gut bacteria and their metabolic activities) affect goblet cell proliferation and differentiation and can be used to manipulate mucosal integrity and dynamic. However, the mode of action and mechanisms behind these effects need to be studied further. As mucins resist to digestion processes, the sloughed mucins can be utilized by bacteria in the lower part of the gut and are considered as endogenous loss of protein and energy to animal. Hydrothermal processing of poultry feed may reduce this loss by reduction in mucus shedding into the lumen. Given the significance of this loss and the lack of precise data, this matter needs to be carefully investigated in the future and the nutritional strategies reducing this loss have to be defined better.

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SummaryThe current study aimed to determine the impact of acidified feed on apparent ileal starch digestibility, intestinal transport and barrier function and intestinal glucose transporter expression. The experiment included a control group and a treatment group with broilers fed a standard diet without or with 1.5% of a commercial organic acid product (64% formic acid, 25% propionic acid, 11% water). Broilers were fed with the experimental diets from hatching until days 32-35. Starch digestibility was determined using 0.2% titanium dioxide as ingestible marker. Gene expressions of the intestinal sodium glucose transporter 1 (SGLT-1) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT-2) were analysed using qPCR analysis. Additionally, SGLT-1 function and chloride secretion were analysed in Ussing chamber experiments. Jejunal samples were sequentially exposed to 10 mM glucose, 100 lM phloridzin, 100 lM histamine and 100 lM carbachol. Apparent ileal starch digestibility (AESEM) of the control group (97.5 AE 0.35%) and the acid-treated group (97.0 AE 0.59%) did not differ (p = 0.674). The mean tissue conductance of intestinal samples obtained from the control group and the treatment group was similar [10.6 mS/cm 2 (AE0.68) and 9.4 mS/cm 2 (AE0.80) respectively (p = 0.147)]. The mean short-circuit currents (DI sc ) of the samples exposed to glucose, phloridzin, histamine and carbachol did not differ (p > 0.05). Additionally, no differences in the expression of SGLT-1 and GLUT-2 could be observed (p = 0.942, p = 0.413). Based on this study, the consumption of feed supplemented with organic acids was not associated with effects on ileal starch digestibility and functional traits of jejunal tissues, indicating that these additives have no major impact on the small intestinal function in broilers.