Integrated Fecal Microbiome and Metabolomics Reveals a Novel Potential Biomarker for Predicting Tibial Dyschondroplasia in Chickens

Abstract

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is a metabolic tibial-tarsal disorder occurring in fast-growing poultry, and its diagnosis is mainly based on an invasive method. Here, we profiled the fecal gut microbiome and metabolome of broilers with and without TD to identify potential non-invasive and non-stress biomarkers of TD. First, TD broilers with the most pronounced clinical signs during the experiment were screened and faecal samples were collected for integrated microbiome and metabolomics analysis. Moreover, the diagnostic potential of identified biomarkers was further validated throughout the experiment. It was noted that the microbial and metabolic signatures of TD broilers differed from those of normal broilers. TD broilers were characterized by enriched bacterial OTUs of the genus Klebsiella, and depleted genera [Ruminococcus], Dorea, Ruminococcus, Oscillospira, Ochrobactrum, and Sediminibacterium. In addition, a total of 189 fecal differential metabolites were identified, mainly enriched in the purine, vitamin and amino acid metabolism, which were closely associated with differential microbiota and tibia-related indicators. Furthermore, three fecal metabolites were screened, including 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, which distinguished TD from normal broilers with extremely high specificity and was superior to serum bone markers. These results indicated that gut microbiota equilibrium might influence the pathogenesis of TD by modulating host metabolism, and the identified fecal metabolite 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde might be a potential and non-invasive biomarker for predicting TD in chickens.

Total Flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynariae Mitigates Aflatoxin B1-Induced Liver Toxicity in Chickens via Microbiota-Gut-Liver Axis Interaction Mechanisms

“…AFB1 is a class of highly toxic mycotoxins, and the waste of feed ingredients and decreased animal performance caused by AFB1 contamination have brought heavy economic losses to the livestock industry [ 36 ]. As a flavonoid herbal medicine extract, TFRD has various bioactive effects, including immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects [ 1 , 5 , 29 , 31 ]. In this present experiment, the main active ingredient of TFRD is Rutin .…”

“…Microbial genomic DNA was extracted from duodenal content samples using the FastDNA SPIN kit (#116540600) according to the kit’s protocol and then stored at −20 °C before further analysis (MP Biomedicals, Santa Ana, CA, USA). Raw data were analyzed using the QIIME2 platform, as previously described [ 31 ]. Additionally, α and β diversities were determined in QIIME2.…”

Effects of Probiotics and Gut Microbiota on Bone Metabolism in Chickens: A Review

“…Similarly, a close relationship between bone health and gut microbiota was also found in broilers. The abundance of microbiota in the small and large intestines of TD broilers was significantly different from that in healthy broilers examined using high-throughput sequencing [ 25 , 67 ]. Additionally, by analysing the intestinal microbial diversity of patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia, it was found that the bacterial composition and diversity of the two groups changed compared to that of the normal group [ 68 ].…”

Gut microbiome dysregulation drives bone damage in broiler tibial dyschondroplasia by disrupting glucose homeostasis

“…TD has attracted more attention to poor animal welfare and causing huge economic losses to the flourishing poultry industry. Several studies have shown that some factors, including vasculature dysfunction 1 , high blood glucose levels 9 and variations in the gut microbiota (GM) 10 , substantially affect TD occurrence in broilers. However, the causes and specific pathogenesis of TD in chickens are still unknown.…”