Microbiome of Ceca from Broiler Chicken Vaccinated or Not against Coccidiosis and Fed Berry Pomaces

Abstract

American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and lowbush/wild blueberry (V. angustifolium) pomace are polyphenol-rich products having potentially beneficial effects in broiler chickens. This study investigated the cecal microbiome of broiler-vaccinated or non-vaccinated birds against coccidiosis. Birds in each of the two groups (vaccinated or non-vaccinated) were fed a basal non-supplemented diet (NC), a basal diet supplemented with bacitracin (BAC), American cranberry (CP), and lowbush blueberry (BP) pomace alone or in combination (CP + BP). At 21 days of age, cecal DNA samples were extracted and analyzed using both whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing and targeted-resistome sequencing approaches. Ceca from vaccinated birds showed a lower abundance of Lactobacillus and a higher abundance of Escherichia coli than non-vaccinated birds (p < 0.05). The highest and lowest abundance of L. crispatus and E. coli, respectively, were observed in birds fed CP, BP, and CP + BP compared to those from NC or BAC treatments (p < 0.05). Coccidiosis vaccination affected the abundance of virulence genes (VGs) related to adherence, flagella, iron utilization, and secretion system. Toxin-related genes were observed in vaccinated birds (p < 0.05) in general, with less prevalence in birds fed CP, BP, and CP + BP than NC and BAC (p < 0.05). More than 75 antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) detected by the shotgun metagenomics sequencing were impacted by vaccination. Ceca from birds fed CP, BP, and CP + BP showed the lowest (p < 0.05) abundances of ARGs related to multi-drug efflux pumps, modifying/hydrolyzing enzyme and target-mediated mutation, when compared to ceca from birds fed BAC. Targeted metagenomics showed that resistome from BP treatment was distant to other groups for antimicrobials, such as aminoglycosides (p < 0.05). Significant differences in the richness were observed between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups for aminoglycosides, β-lactams, lincosamides, and trimethoprim resistance genes (p < 0.05). Overall, this study demonstrated that dietary berry pomaces and coccidiosis vaccination significantly impacted cecal microbiota, virulome, resistome, and metabolic pathways in broiler chickens.

Campylobacter jejuni and casein hydrolysate addition: Impact on poultry in vitro cecal microbiota and metabolome

“…In our study, to characterize the overall function of the cecal community, we mapped the identified metabolites to the E. coli to represent the pathways associated with the microbial community in poultry ceca. E. coli is widely studied as a prokaryotic model organism and plays a significant role in the cecal community, closely linked to Campylobacter colonization [47][48][49]. Our study has unveiled disparities in protein order of structure and molecular size, indicating differences among the core microbiota and the abundance of vitamin B-associated metabolites.…”

Effects of Anticoccidial Vaccination and Taraxacum officinale Extract on the Growth Performance, Biochemical Parameters, Immunity, and Intestinal Morphology of Eimeria-Challenged Chickens

“…Therefore, nutritional approaches that support immune system development and mitigate the negative effects on growth performance, while also combating infection, are promising. Phytogenic feed additives are, next to probiotics, the most frequently tested alternatives to standard programs against coccidiosis [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 57 ]. T. officinale could be considered a medicinal plant due to its rich content of bioactive substances, which have demonstrated broad pharmacological properties in both in vitro and in vivo studies [ 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

“…In light of these challenges, there is a growing interest in exploring natural methods that can support coccidiosis immunoprophylaxis and improve the overall health and productivity of vaccinated broiler chickens. One promising strategy is the use of plant extracts in poultry nutrition as they serve as a rich source of diverse bioactive substances capable of exerting their beneficial effects through various mechanisms of action [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”