Dietary Supplementation With Bacillus subtilis Direct-Fed Microbials Alters Chicken Intestinal Metabolite Levels

Abstract

Direct-fed microbials (DFMs) are dietary supplements containing live microorganisms which confer a performance and health benefit to the host, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, a metabolomics approach was used to identify changes in intestinal metabolite levels in chickens fed an unsupplemented diet or a diet supplemented with B. subtilis strain 1781 or strain 747. Body weight gains of chickens fed the B. subtilis-supplemented diets were increased up to 5.6% in the B. subtilis 1781 group and 7.6% in the B. subtilis 747 group compared with chickens fed the unsupplemented diet. Compared with unsupplemented controls, the levels of 83 metabolites were altered (p < 0.05) (25 increased, 58 decreased) in chickens given the B. subtilis 1781-supplemented diet, while 50 were altered (p < 0.05) (12 increased, 38 decreased) with the B. subtilis 747-supplemented diet. Twenty-two metabolites were altered (p < 0.05) (18 increased, 4 decreased) in the B. subtilis 1781 vs. B. subtilis 747 groups. A random forest analysis of the B. subtilis 1781 vs. control groups gave a predictive accuracy of 87.5%, while that of the B. subtilis 747 vs. control groups was 62.5%. A random forest analysis of the B. subtilis 1781 vs. B. subtilis 747 groups gave a predictive accuracy of 75.0%. Changes in the levels of these intestinal biochemicals provided a distinctive biochemical signature unique to each B. subtilis-supplemented group, and were characterized by alterations in the levels of dipeptides (alanylleucine, glutaminylleucine, phenylalanylalanine, valylglutamine), nucleosides (N1-methyladenosine, N6-methyladenosine, guanine, 2-deoxyguanosine), fatty acids (sebacate, valerylglycine, linoleoylcholine), and carbohydrates (fructose). These results provide the foundation for future studies to identify biochemicals that might be used to improve poultry growth performance in the absence of antibiotic growth promoters.

Dietary Supplementation With Magnolia Bark Extract Alters Chicken Intestinal Metabolite Levels

“…We observed that chickens given a diet containing Bacillus subtilis-based probiotics had a lower number of metabolic changes compared with the present report (31). More specifically, compared with unsupplemented controls, the levels of 83 metabolites were altered (25 increased, 58 decreased) in chickens given a diet supplemented with B. subtilis strain 1781, while 50 were altered (12 increased, 38 decreased) with a B. subtilis strain 747-supplemented diet.…”

Xylanase and Direct-Fed Microbials (DFM) Potential for Improvement of Live Performance, Energy Digestibility, and Reduction of Environmental Microbial Load of Broilers

“…It has also been reported that several Bacillus strains, when used as DFM, have the ability to inhibit pathogens through the production of antimicrobials ( 38 , 39 ). Furthermore, Park et al ( 40 ) showed that broiler gut metabolites were altered by the Bacillus strain when used as DFM. They suggested that these metabolites might play a role in recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) eventually leading to preventing intestinal disease and improving birds' growth.…”

Effects of Dietary Maltol on Innate Immunity, Gut Health, and Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens Challenged With Eimeria maxima

“…For example, short-chain fatty acids, bacteriocins, functional peptides, and proteins are known as postbiotics (33,34); therefore, gut metabolites are considered as postbiotics. In our previous study (19), we performed a global metabolomic analysis of gut metabolites associated with growth and immunity enhancement following dietary exposure of young chickens with direct-fed microbes, B. subtilis 1781 and 747, which promote growth and immunity. Of the 361 metabolites that were altered in chickens treated with B. subtilis 1781 and 747, 131 metabolites were increased and 230 metabolites were decreased compared to the non-supplemented control group.…”

“…The animal study was reviewed and approved by the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Small Animal Care Committee (Animal Protocol No. 19 The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.…”

“…With the development of the "omics" technology related to the investigation of gut health, the term "postbiotics" was coined and defined as a novel class of feed additives that are generally produced by beneficial gut microbes and which exert a positive influence on the host health (18). In our previous study (19), dietary feeding of the Bacillus subtilis 1781 strain induced the alteration of chicken gut metabolites which was associated with the growth-and immune-promoting effects of dietary B. subtilis 1781 strain in chickens. Among the highly altered gut metabolites, maltol was one of the significantly increased metabolites that we selected for further studies since maltol mediates various physiological functions associated with anti-oxidant (20) and anti-carcinogen (21) activities and reduces inflammatory responses (22).…”