The Effect of the Antimicrobial Peptide Plectasin on the Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, and Immune Function of Yellow-Feathered Chickens

Abstract

The goal of the study was to test the effects of an antibiotic substitute, plectasin, on the growth performance, immune function, intestinal morphology and structure, intestinal microflora, ileal mucosal layer construction and tight junctions, ileal immune-related cytokines, and blood biochemical indices of yellow-feathered chickens. A total of 1,500 one-day-old yellow-feathered chicks were randomly divided into four dietary treatment groups with five replicates in each group and 75 yellow-feathered chicks in each replication, as follows: basal diet (group A); basal diet supplemented with 10 mg enramycin/kg of diet (group B), basal diet supplemented with 100 mg plectasin/kg of diet (group C), and basal diet supplemented with 200 mg plectasin/kg of diet (group D). It was found that the dietary antimicrobial peptide plectasin could improve the ADG and had better F/G for the overall period of 1–63 days. Dietary plectasin can enhance H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) antibody levels of yellow-feathered chickens at 21, and 35 days of age. Dietary plectasin can enhance the intestine structure, inhibit Escherichia coli and proinflammatory cytokines in the ileum, and ameliorate the blood biochemical indices of yellow-feathered chickens at 21 days of age. This study indicates that the antimicrobial peptide plectasin has beneficial effects on the growth performance, intestinal health and immune function of yellow-feathered chickens.

Effects of Antimicrobial Peptide Microcin C7 on Growth Performance, Immune and Intestinal Barrier Functions, and Cecal Microbiota of Broilers

“…than broilers fed control diets (32). Zhang et al reported that dietary antimicrobial peptide plectasin significantly decreased the quantity of E. coli and increased the ratio between Lactobacilli and E. coli in the ileal contents of 21-day-old yellow-feathered chickens (16). Tang et al also reported that the antimicrobial peptide lactoferrin significantly decreased the number of E. coli and increased the number of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium in the ileum, caecum, and colon of weaned piglets (70).…”

“…The impairment of intestinal epithelial barrier and intestinal microecology caused by Paneth cell dysfunction is one of the important pathogenies of inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and colitis (15). AMPs have important application value in the poultry industry and were reported to have beneficial effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, immune functions, and intestinal morphology, integrity, and microflora in broilers (16)(17)(18). Hence, AMPs can be potential antibiotic alternatives, which have attracted researchers' interests.…”

Effects of Small Peptide Supplementation on Growth Performance, Intestinal Barrier of Laying Hens During the Brooding and Growing Periods

“…Moreover, Studies have shown that soybean polypeptides contain antibodies that enhance animal immune function and improve animal health ( 23 ). Small peptides can participate in the immune regulation of the body and promote the phagocytosis of macrophages, lymphocyte and immature splenic cell proliferation which may be the reason for the increase of serum immune level ( 24 ).…”

Insights in the Development and Uses of Alternatives to Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Poultry and Swine Production

“…With an 80-year application history, AMPs are considered strong candidates to replace antibiotics in the animal food production industry and have been widely studied [ 201 ]. For example, broiler feed supplemented with the bacteriocin microcin J25 improved performance, reduced systemic inflammation, improved fecal microbiota (lower population of total anaerobic bacteria), and decreased Salmonella infection rate [ 202 ]. Similar beneficial effects have been observed with the use of AMPs in piglet feed [ 201 , 203 , 204 , 205 ].…”

“…Although the antimicrobial activity of AMPs plays an important role in their impact on animal growth, their ability to modulate the immune response also strongly contributes to their beneficial effects. It has been shown that supplementation of feed with microcin J25, a bacteriocin active against several E. coli and Salmonella strains, can promote growth performance, improve intestinal morphology, influence fecal microbiota composition, and reduce the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6) in broilers [ 202 ]. It was also observed that microcin J25 was able to attenuate intestinal inflammation diseases caused by enteric pathogens [ 207 ].…”