Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a lactic acid based probiotic on leaky gut and microbiome associated challenges with Salmonella Enteritidis infection and 24h feed restriction (FR) in broiler chickens. Chickens were orally gavaged with 2x10⁴cfu/chick of S. Enteritidis at 1 d of age and then were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) Control, 2) Probiotic control, 3) FR, and 4) Probiotic+FR. The probiotic was included in the drinking water for 16 days. Blood samples were collected for measuring leakage of FITC-d, and ceca content was also collected for microbiome evaluation. In the present study, the probiotic reduced FITC-d when compared with FR chickens without the probiotic. At Phylum level, both groups treated with probiotic had higher proportion of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. At the Class level, both control groups in this trial had an increase in Gammaproteobacteria. This study confirms that FR increases gut permeability in chickens, but these changes were prevented by the administration of a lactic acid based probiotic.

Keywords: Chicken; Feed restriction; Gut permeability; Microbiome; Stress

Abbreviations: FR: Feed Restriction; GIT: Gastrointestinal Tract; TJ: Tight Junction; LAB: Lactic Acid Bacteria; QIIME: Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology; OTUs: Operational Taxonomic Units; BWG: Body Weight Gain; GALT: Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue; CRF: Corticotropin- Releasing Factor