The cereal type in feed influences gut wall morphology and intestinal immune cell infiltration in broiler chickens

Abstract

In broiler chickens, a diet where the major cereal types are wheat, rye and/or barley has a lower digestibility compared with a diet in which maize is the major cereal type. In the present study, the effects of two different dietary cereal types, maize v. wheat/rye, on host factors (inflammation and gut integrity) and gut microbiota composition were studied. In addition, the effects of low-dose Zn-bacitracin supplementation were examined. Broilers given a wheat/rye-based diet showed more villus fusion, a thinner tunica muscularis, more T-lymphocyte infiltration, higher amount of immune cell aggregates in the mucosa, more and larger goblet cells and more apoptosis of epithelial cells in the mucosa than those given a maize-based diet. Adding Zn-bacitracin generally reversed these alterations. The microbiota composition was analysed by the use of terminalrestriction fragment length polymorphism, showing changes in the microbiota composition depending on the cereal type used in the diets. The effect of the change of cereal type on the gut microbiota composition was larger than that of Zn-bacitracin supplementation. In conclusion, a wheat/rye-based diet evoked mucosal damage, an alteration in the composition of the microbiota and an inflammatory bowel type of condition.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Non-Antibiotic Alternatives in Coccidia Challenged Broiler Chickens

“…Although not without controversy, replacements for antibiotics such as prebiotics and probiotics are also thought to have some beneficial effect on the gut microflora by limiting the colonization of the gut by harmful microbes while promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms (Hilmarsson et al, 2006;Willis and Reid, 2008). Incidence of inflammation represents a major and consistent endpoint for determining the severity of insult to the gastrointestinal tract (Borrmann et al, 2007;Brisbin et al, 2008;Van Deun et al, 2008;Teirlynck et al, 2009). Inflammation could directly lead to compromised gut integrity (Olkowski et al, 2006).…”

Effect of different levels of crude glycerol on the morphology and some pathogenic bacteria of the small intestine in male broilers

“…The dietary composition (Teo and Tan, 2007), microflora (Lan et al, 2005), and the interaction between the diet and microflora can affect the intestinal development, mucosal architecture and the mucus composition of the gastrointestinal tract (Apajalahti et al, 2004;Teirlynck et al, 2009). Losada and Olleros (2002) found that the intestinal flora naturally contain both healthy and unhealthy bacteria.…”

A review on prebiotics and probiotics for the control of dysbiosis: present status and future perspectives

“…It also suggests that the AGPs that were included in animal feed before the ban prevented the detrimental microbiota shift that is called dysbiosis. The AGP Zn-bacitracin indeed was able to reverse the inflammatory changes and villus shortening induced by the high NSPcontaining diet in broilers, in association with a shift in the microbiota (Teirlynck et al, 2009a). It thus appears that the use of AGP in the past has masked the dysbiosis-inducing effects of many feed formulae used in broilers (and possibly in pigs and other farm animals).…”

“…We reported that dysbiosis in broilers is associated with intestinal inflammation and shortening of small intestinal villi (Teirlynck et al, 2011). Under experimental conditions in broilers, dysbiosis, characterised by typical inflammation and villus shortening, can be induced by feeding a diet containing high amounts of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and no NSP-degrading enzymes (Teirlynck et al, 2009a). Moreover, such a diet makes the birds more susceptible to Salmonella enteritidis colonisation, an observation that further documents the imbalance between beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms (Teirlynck et al, 2009b).…”